12-year-old boy found dead inside bouncing castle in Lucknow's Hussainabad
In a tragic incident, a 12-year-old boy was found dead inside a Mickey Mouse-themed bouncing castle in Hussainabad area under Thakurganj late on Tuesday evening, police said on Wednesday.
According to a police statement, the body was discovered in Hussainabad area on Durga Devi Marg under the jurisdiction of Satkhanda police outpost around 8pm on Tuesday.
'Local authorities were alerted by residents, after which a police team promptly reached the site. The child was found lying motionless inside the ride,' Thakurganj SHO Shrikant Rai said.
'The body was discovered when the ride was reopened for use. There were visible scratches and abrasion marks on his abdomen,' the SHO said, adding; 'Prima facie, the injuries appear to have been caused by the machine (air filler) used to inflate the bouncing castle, and the boy may have been trapped inside it.'
Preliminary investigations suggest the child died after being caught in the structure of the inflatable ride. There were no immediate signs of foul play, though further inquiry is ongoing, the police statement said.
The deceased was identified as Kalmuddin, son of Kallu, a native of Hardoi district. He was currently living with his sister in Thakurganj area and was sold bottled water around the Clock Tower in Hussainabad area, the SHO said, adding the body has been sent for the post-mortem examination and efforts are ongoing to contact the family members of the deceased.
'Further legal procedures are being followed, and the law and order situation at the site remains normal,' police said.
Locals raised questions about the safety and maintenance standards of temporary amusement setups, especially those operated without proper regulation in densely populated localities.
Sources told HT that the ride is privately owned and has been operating illegally in the area for a long time, with the Hussainabad and Allied Trust and sections of the district administration responsible for managing the Hussainabad zone looking the other way.
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