A seven-year-old pupil drowned in a well beside his school while trying to wash his hand thoroughly after his meal.

The pupil, identified as Pascal, was one of the physically-challenged pupils in the primary school; the first child of his family.

According to reports by Vanguard, the late Pascal left his classroom a few minutes past 12p.m., to wash his hands at the entrance of the class taking his lunch. On getting to the spot, Pascal realised that the bucket was empty and left the spot for the school well, where he could get water, about 50 metres away from the classroom.

Apparently, on getting to the well, he could not fetch water due to the well’s depth and was unable to get any assistance.

He then left the school premises through a breach in the school fence, entered one of the buildings beside the school and got drowned, trying to get water from the well.

One of the teachers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the incident would have been averted if it did not coincide with the break time of the older pupils.

“But it was the comment from Pascal’s mother, who arrived at about 1:30p.m. that gave the search party clue as to where he deceased could be,” she added.

One of the pupils, who identified herself as Yetunde, said the search party began to drain the well at about 3p.m. after obtaining permit from Okokomaiko Police Station, Okoko, and the deceased was recovered at about 6p.m.

Pascal’s father, Mr. Chucks, spoke out of great hurt and regret saying, “It pains me. If I had known, I would not have transferred him to this school. He was attending a private school, but I realised that the school did not have the facility to effectively teach him, considering his condition. However, I believe that his death has been destined.”