Early in the afternoon of 31/7, the Vasant Kunj South police station in southwest Delhi received a report of a boy being swept into an open drain near the Shiv Mandir temple in Rajokri village.

Initial investigations revealed that several local children witnessed the incident and informed nearby residents, who then contacted the police.

A large-scale search was immediately launched, involving police, firefighters, and professional divers. An excavator was also brought to the scene to dredge the drain.

However, by 1/8, the search had yielded no results.

A boy in Rajokri village, southwest Delhi, India, was swept into an open drain on the afternoon of 31/7. Illustrative photo: Indianexpress

A boy in Rajokri village, southwest Delhi, India, was swept into an open drain on the afternoon of 31/7. Illustrative photo: Indianexpress

Finding no trace of the boy in the drain, the rescue team turned to security camera footage from around the scene. They discovered a video showing the boy walking towards the drain at 12:41 p.m. on 31/7. Another camera revealed a crucial detail: the boy exiting the drain area at 12:51 p.m., just 10 minutes after he was presumed to have fallen in.

Police extracted an image of the child from the video and circulated it for identification. A teacher at the MCD school in Rajokri village quickly recognized him as her third-grade student.

Authorities visited the boy's home, and the situation became clear. The 8-year-old recounted playing in the rain with friends that afternoon and accidentally falling into the drain. He was swept along by the current for a short distance before finding his way out through a broken section of the drain, about 20 meters from where he fell. The boy walked home and resumed his normal activities, completely unaware of the 24-hour rescue operation.

"The boy managed to get out safely. It's a fortunate outcome", said Amit Goel, a local police officer.

Minh Phuong (Indianexpress, Indiatimes)