CHANDIGARH: Three-year-old Gurkaran Singh alias Vansh was rescued from an open borewell pit after a nine-hour-long operation at Chak Samana village near Bhikhowal on the Hoshiarpur–Dasuya road in Hoshiarpur district of Punjab.
The rescue teams pulled him out around 12.40 am and immediately shifted him to a hospital for medical examination and treatment.
Locals said that the child accidentally slipped into the 25-foot-deep borewell while playing near the site outside his home at around 4 pm.
The family of the child and villagers hugged the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel and other rescuers profusely, thanking them for their efforts in the entire rescue operation.
Earlier during the operation, the administration had called the child's mother to the site and asked her to speak to him so that he could remain calm.
Care was taken to use the machinery cautiously, ensuring that loose soil would not fall on the child and jeopardise his safety. Despite measures, the sand caved in many times, blocking camera view of the child.
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 rescue teams initially lowered a camera and oxygen pipe into the borewell to monitor the child's condition and ensure oxygen supply.
"The child's movements were visible in the footage initially, which helped rescuers assess the situation," she said and added that rescuers dug a parallel pit up to a depth of around 25 to 30 feet before creating a narrow tunnel to reach the child safely.
Jain said more than 40 NDRF personnel participated in the rescue effort. She thanked the NDRF, SDRF, Punjab Police, civil administration officials, medical teams, volunteers and locals for their coordinated efforts and commitment in ensuring the child's safe rescue.
Senior Superintendent of Police of Hoshiarpur, Sandeep Kumar Malik said that their dedication and teamwork were vital in saving the child's life.
Punjab Jails Minister Ravjot Singh said medical and emergency teams had remained on standby throughout the operation to provide immediate treatment to the child after rescue.
Member of Parliament from Hoshiarpur Raj Kumar Chabbewal described it as a highly sensitive and challenging rescue mission and said continuous efforts by all agencies helped make the operation successful.