An eight-year-old boy died in an accident at Malda Medical College & Hospital (MMCH) on Friday morning after he slipped from the rails of a staircase and sustained serious injuries.

The victim Harshit Singh, who is from Buraburi Tala of Malda town, is the son of Balbir who runs a makeshift food stall in front of the hospital.

“On Friday, the boy came to the shop with his father. As Balbir got busy, the boy walked into the multi-storied building that houses the outpatient departments and climbed up to the sixth floor. He then started skidding downwards using the rails of the staircase. On the fourth floor, he slipped and fell on the third floor. He suffered a head injury and died on the spot,” said a source.

“My son had epilepsy. I would always keep him in watch. Today, he somehow slipped out of the stall and walked into the building,” said the victim’s father.