Overview
- A section of a roadside lamp assembly detached and fell onto a child in the Hastings neighbourhood of central Kolkata, causing fatal head injuries and leading to the child's death.
- The victim has been identified as Gudiya Khatun, who lived with her family in shanties beneath the Hastings flyover near the incident site.
- Local police sealed the scene, sent the body for post-mortem and opened an inquiry to determine whether maintenance lapses caused the structural failure.
- Family members and neighbours alleged negligence, saying the fallen lamp had missing fasteners and only one nut still attached to the fixture.
- Reports differ on the child’s age, with some outlets saying six and others seven, and the case has highlighted broader safety risks for children who play near poorly maintained street infrastructure.