An 8-year-old student, Suraj Manjhi, tragically lost his life in Khunti, Jharkhand, on Monday after falling into a well near his school. The incident occurred at the Rajkriyakrit Kanya Madhya Vidyalaya where the young boy attended third grade. After eating the mid-day meal, Suraj went to get water as the school’s hand pump was broken. He and his friends went to a nearby dilapidated well, where he slipped and fell into the water.
School staff were alerted and quickly tried to rescue the child, taking him to the Murhu Community Health Centre. However, doctors declared him dead on arrival. The incident caused shock and distress at the school. The well was located just outside the school premises.
For several days, the school’s water supply had been compromised due to the malfunctioning hand pump. The school cook had been sourcing water for cooking and drinking from the same well. Older students sometimes drank water from it after lunch.
The District Education Superintendent has ordered an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the boy’s death, with directives for severe action against anyone found responsible. This tragic incident bears resemblance to a prior event in June 2025 in the same district, where two children died after falling into an under-construction well while playing near it. Despite efforts by the NDRF, those children also could not be saved.