CHANDIGARH: A rescue operation is underway after a three-year-old boy, Gurkaran Singh alias Vansh, fell into an open borewell pit at Chak Samana village near Bhikhowal on the Hoshiarpur–Dasuya road in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab.
Locals said that the child accidentally slipped into the 25-foot-deep borehole while playing near the site outside his home at around 4 pm.
As soon as the incident came to the knowledge of the district administration, it launched a large-scale rescue operation.
Four JCB machines were pressed into service to dig a parallel trench near the pit in an attempt to reach the child safely.
"The child did not fall directly inside the narrow pipe of the borewell, which was around 90 feet deep, but got stuck in the space surrounding the pipe inside the loose soil,’’ said an officer.
"As the child is stuck in the soil around the pipe, we are hopeful of rescuing him alive. The oxygen is being supplied continuously. Also, a camera has been deployed inside the pit, which confirmed child's movement. He was playing nearby when his foot slipped due to the sandy surface, and he fell into the gap alongside the pipe,’’ he added.
Also, floodlights and emergency equipment have been arranged across the site so that the rescue operation continues smoothly.
The initial visuals from a camera inserted into the borehole reportedly confirmed that he is alive but looks frightened.
The SDM and a few DSPs have been stationed at the location throughout the evening.
The incident triggered panic across the village, with residents gathering near the fields after hearing the family’s cry for help.
Kiran Singh, Station House Officer of Hariana Bhunga police station, who is present with rescue teams on the spot, said that the borewell had been dug nearly a fortnight ago for extracting water, and a 15-inch pipe had been installed and later sealed from the top after water extraction was completed.
However, the surrounding excavation pit was not filled back with soil.
Deputy Commissioner of Hoshiarpur Aashika Jain, Senior Superintendent of Police of Hoshiarpur Sandeep Kumar Malik and other senior administrative officials rushed to the spot to monitor the rescue efforts and personally supervise the rescue efforts.
Jain said that the rescue operation is being carried out on a war footing, and every necessary arrangement is available on the site.
Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Fire Brigade, health department, ambulances, and other emergency services were deployed immediately.
The administration also called in the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) for additional technical assistance.
Also, volunteers of Baba Deep Singh Sewa Dal from Garhdiwala immediately joined the operation.
The three-year-old Gurkaran Singh belongs to a farming family that lives near the fields where the incident occurred.
Punjab Cabinet Minister Dr Ravjot Singh also visited the site to review the rescue operation and monitor arrangements.
The rescue mission is currently in progress.