AHMEDABAD: A one-and-a-half-year-old girl died after falling into an open borewell while playing on the outskirts of Surgapara village in Gujarat Amreli district, officials said.
The girl fell into the 50-foot-deep borewell on Friday afternoon while her family was working in a nearby paddy field.
Despite swift efforts by the Amreli fire department and 108 teams, who quickly arrived at the scene for rescue operations, the situation proved challenging.
A camera inserted into the borehole revealed soil falling onto the girl’s head, complicating rescue attempts. Even a robot deployed to assist failed to rescue her, officials said.
“After 17 hours of intense efforts, rescue teams managed to pull out the child from the borewell. Tragically, despite our extensive efforts, she did not survive,” said an official involved in the rescue operation.
Fire Officer HC Garhvi said, “The rescue operation lasted from 12.30 pm on Friday to 5.10 am on Saturday. The fire department, NDRF, and police administration worked together in a joint operation to rescue the girl, who was finally extracted early morning. She was taken to the Civil Hospital in Amreli for treatment, but unfortunately, doctors declared her brought dead.”
Speaking on the incident, Amreli Collector Ajay Dahiya said, “Stones had been placed over the borewell where the incident occurred, but children had removed them. An accidental death (AD) report has been filed. Verbal instructions have been issued across the district, mandating that boreholes in rural areas be registered with the gram panchayat. Additionally, a verbal notification has been given. A meeting with the officers will be convened, and a formal order will be issued with notice.”
An witness said, “When the first 108 team arrived, they could still hear the girl’s voice. Shortly after, the fire emergency team arrived and immediately deployed cameras. By 1:30 pm, administrative officials had reached the scene and began supplying oxygen. The rescue operation continued for 17 hours.”