GURGAON: A 12-year-old boy suffered multiple spinal fractures after a basketball pole allegedly collapsed during a practice session at a housing society in Gurgaon’s Sector 84 on Monday evening, triggering allegations of negligence against the management and maintenance agency.The boy, Kartik, a son of a doctor, was playing with other children on the society’s basketball court around 7.15 pm when the iron pole suddenly gave way and fell on him.While two other players managed to escape, Kartik was trapped beneath the structure and sustained serious injuries.Residents and security personnel rushed to the spot after hearing screams and pulled the child out before he was taken to a nearby hospital.Doctors said the boy suffered fractures at three places along his spine and remains in critical but stable condition.The incident has sparked outrage among residents, who claimed that the basketball pole had been rusted and leaning for a long time.They alleged that repeated complaints to the society management about its condition had gone unheeded.According to residents, the pole had not been properly anchored with concrete, raising questions over maintenance and safety standards.The victim’s family and other society members have lodged a police complaint seeking an FIR and strict action against those responsible.A senior police officer said the matter is being investigated and appropriate action will be taken after the facts are verified.The accident is the third such incident in Haryana in recent years. Earlier, a national-level player, Hardik, died in Rohtak after a basketball pole weighing around 750 kg fell on him, while another player lost his life in a similar incident in Jhajjar’s Bahadurgarh.(With PTI inputs)
