Pool drowning investigation reveals drain cover fixed with wire
Mainichi Daily News
August 1, 2006
FUJIMINO, Saitama -- Part of the cover that fell off a drain outlet of a swimming pool, causing a 7-year-old girl to die when she was sucked in, had been fixed with wire instead of screws or bolts, in violation of government guidelines, investigators said Tuesday.
Saitama Prefectural Police suspect that this may constitute professional negligence resulting in death.
Two aluminum covers, each measuring 60 centimeters by 60 centimeters, were fixed to the drain outlet, which measures 50 centimeters in diameter, at the Fujimino Municipal Oi Swimming Pool. The four corners of each cover were supposed to be fixed with bolts.
Investigators are questioning officials of a company commissioned by the municipal government to operate the swimming pool over the type of the wire, how it was used to fix the cover and why it was used instead of bolts.
Municipal government officials in charge of managing the swimming pool said they had not received any reports from the company saying that it used wire to fix the cover to the drain outlet. (Mainichi)