A seven-year-old girl died after a portion of a roadside light post fell on her in Kolkata's Hastings area on Monday morning, police said.
The deceased has been identified as Gudiya Khatun, who lived with her family under the Hastings flyover, they said.
The incident took place around 7 am when the upper portion of the light post fell on the child standing below it, a senior police officer said, adding that she suffered severe head injuries and died on the spot.
Family members and some witnesses claimed that only one 'knot' was found at the scene after the light was removed from the light post, reported Anandabazar.com
As per the report, there are usually four 'nuts' to attach those lights to the light post. The family is complaining that the remaining three 'nuts' were not attached here.
They claimed because of that, the light fell off the light post. The deceased Gudiya's father is a daily wage labourer. He said that he rushed to the spot after receiving the news from his nephew.
She was quickly taken to SSKM Hospital. But the doctor declared her dead.
The body was sent for post-mortem examination, and an inquiry had been initiated into the incident, the police officer added.
"Prima facie, it appears that a part of the structure detached from the pole and fell. We are examining whether there was any lapse in maintenance," the policeman said.
Locals alleged that the light post had been in poor condition for a long time and that no maintenance work had been carried out in the area.