Three boys drowned in a ditch allegedly at a metro construction site while taking a bath in the floodwater in northwest Delhi's Mukundpur Chowk on Friday, officials said.
Nikhil (10), Piyush (13) and Ashish (13) were residents of northeast Delhi's Jahangirpuri, they said.
The Fire Department said a water tender was rushed to the spot after receiving information about the incident at 2.25 pm.
Delhi Fire Services Director Atul Garg said, "Three children drowned in a ditch at a metro construction site. They were pulled out and rushed to Babu Jagjivan Ram Memorial Hospital, where doctors declared them brought dead."
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However, in a statement, the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) issued a clarification on the children's deaths.
"This is to clarify that absolutely no such incident has been reported from our sites. DMRC's sites are properly barricaded and entry is strictly regulated only for authorised personnel," it said.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal expressed sadness over the boys' deaths and cautioned people against bathing in the Yamuna river, which is in spate.
He told reporters, "It is very unfortunate that three children have died in the city. From news reports, we have learned that all three children were out to take a bath in the river."
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The AAP leader reiterated that people should not go near the water to click selfies.
"We have already urged everyone to stay away from the river at the moment. Some people are curious and they are coming towards the river to see the floods and take selfies. I humbly request everyone to not do this as the level of the water can suddenly rise and there can be an accident. The flow of the river at the moment is so strong that you will not be able to tackle the current even if you are a very good swimmer."
These are the first deaths to be reported in Delhi since the overflowing Yamuna inundated large parts of the national capital.
Parts of Delhi have been inundated after the Yamuna breached its banks following days of heavy rain in the city and the upper catchment areas, prompting the evacuation of thousands from low-lying areas.
The Yamuna in Delhi swelled to 207.71 metres on Wednesday, breaching its all-time record of 207.49 metres set in 1978.
On Thursday, the water level started rising after remaining stable for three hours and reached a height of 208.66 metres by 7 pm, three metres above the danger mark of 205.33 metres.
The water level started receding on Friday and had come down to 208.17 metres at 6 pm, according to the Central Water Commission.
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-WIth PTI Input
