Girl, 5, disappears into drain

A five-year-old girl disappeared without a trace in Christchurch this week after falling into a stormwater sump while walking with her parents.

Michelle, who did not want her last name used, said her daughter was behind her in Victoria Square, in the central city, when she heard a noise "turned around to see her disappear feet first into an unsecured drain", Fairfax Media reported.

The lid flipped back into place, trapping the girl.

"The cover was so heavy that I could not lift it myself; her father even struggled to lift it," Michelle said. "She was in there for less than a minute before he got her out, but it felt like forever. I couldn't tell you how deep it was but she was soaked right to her neck."

Michelle said she would have thought her daughter had been abducted if she had not seen it happen.

The Christchurch City Council immediately taped off the area before securing the lid with bolts.

Council general manager, city environment, Jane Parfitt told the newspaper the sump had been made safe, as had another nearby identified by the girl's parents.

"On a broader scale the council has made it a priority to identify any other potential sites where similar sumps may be located and have instructed contractors to secure these also," Ms Parfitt said.

- NZPA