A tragic incident occurred in the Khunti district of Jharkhand on Monday. A student, studying in the third grade at the Rajyakrit Kanya Madhya Vidyalaya, had lunch at school. Afterwards, the student felt thirsty. Because the school’s water pump was broken, the child went with friends to a dilapidated well outside the school. Due to a slip, the child fell into the well, resulting in their death. The deceased has been identified as Suraj Manjhi, reported to be 8 years old.
The incident took place at the Rajyakrit Kanya Madhya Vidyalaya, located in Hassa village of the Murhu police station area of the district. After eating the mid-day meal, the student went near the well due to thirst and slipped, falling into it. When the school teachers learned of the incident, they rushed to the well and pulled the child out. They then took the child to Murhu CHC, but it was too late. Doctors declared the child dead after examination. A commotion ensued at the scene after the incident.
According to information, the water pump at the school has been out of order for some time, resulting in no water supply at the school. Water for preparing and drinking the mid-day meal was being supplied to the school by the cook, who brought it from the well. However, after lunch, older children sometimes drew water from the well outside the school to drink.
On Monday, after eating the mid-day meal, Suraj Manjhi, a third-grade student, went to the well with other children to drink water. During this time, he slipped and fell into the well, leading to his death. Considering the seriousness of the matter, the District Education Superintendent has ordered an investigation into the incident and directed strict action against the responsible parties.
Previously, in June 2025, a similar tragic incident occurred in Rani Tola of the Murhu police station area of Khunti district, where two minor children died after falling into a well while playing near a construction site. Although the district administration had deployed an NDRF team to rescue the children, they could not be saved.