An 11 year old boy drowned after falling into a drain while walking his bicycle along a flooded road in Saraburi province on September 29, with his body later recovered from a drainage pipe.
The boy, identified as Nattanon, disappeared into the drain outside a village in Huai Sai subdistrict, Nong Khae district, at around 10.30am. The area had experienced flooding following heavy rain, although the date of the rainfall was not clearly specified in the initial report.
Officials from Hin Kong Subdistrict Municipality, Huai Sai Subdistrict Municipality and the Sawang Rattana Trai Dhammastan Rescue Foundation joined the search for the missing child.
Volunteer divers eventually found Nattanon’s body inside the drainage pipe. His body was recovered and taken to a hospital for an autopsy.
According to Nattanon’s friend, the two boys had been cycling together before reaching the flooded road. They decided to walk their bicycles through the water, but Nattanon subsequently disappeared.
CCTV footage reportedly showed Nattanon and his bicycle being pulled towards the drain. He appeared to attempt to retrieve the bicycle before being pulled into the drainage system.
The footage was shared by several news outlets and prompted discussion on Thai social media. Some users questioned why adults reportedly present at the scene had not intervened to help the boy.
Others raised concerns about whether the drain had a cover and pointed out that warning signs were reportedly absent, potentially putting other residents at risk. These concerns have not been confirmed by the authorities in the information available.
Some social media users also urged parents to exercise caution when children are near floodwater, warning of the dangers posed by submerged drains and other hazards.
The Department of Disease Control has separately warned the public to avoid unnecessary contact with floodwater because of the risk of leptospirosis, a bacterial infection that can spread through water or soil contaminated with infected animal urine.
However, many residents affected by flooding had to leave their homes to obtain food and drinking water. Children have also been seen playing in floodwater in some areas, raising further concerns about safety during the ongoing floods.
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