Daijiworld Media Network - Ambala
Ambala (Haryana), Jun 30: A large-scale rescue operation involving multiple agencies was launched in Haryana's Ambala district on Tuesday after a four-year-old boy accidentally fell into a 220-foot-deep open borewell in Dhanaura village.
Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the district administration and the Indian Army are working together in a race against time to rescue the child, identified as Nirbhay.
According to officials, the incident occurred around 6.30 a.m. when the boy accompanied his father, Manjit, to the family's agricultural fields in Barara. Manjit had gone to deliver breakfast to the child's grandfather, Karnail Singh, who had been working in the fields since early morning.
While the adults were occupied, Nirbhay was reportedly playing near an uncovered borewell measuring about nine inches in diameter. Officials said the child was throwing handfuls of soil into the borewell when he leaned forward to look inside. The ground around the opening had become wet and slippery, causing him to lose his balance and plunge into the deep shaft.
His father and grandfather immediately rushed to the spot and repeatedly called out to him. Villagers also joined the rescue attempt, but the narrow opening of the borewell made it impossible to pull the child out using local resources.
After initial efforts proved unsuccessful, the district administration was alerted at around 7.30 a.m., prompting an immediate response from emergency rescue agencies.
Rescue teams from the NDRF, SDRF and local administration soon reached the site with specialised equipment. The Indian Army was also deployed to provide technical support and heavy machinery required for the complex operation.
Deputy Commissioner Ajay Singh Tomar, who is overseeing the rescue mission, said the operation was particularly difficult because of the borewell's narrow diameter and the depth at which the child is believed to be trapped.
"The incident was reported around 6.30 a.m. The child, aged about four years, had accompanied his father to the fields and accidentally fell into an open borewell with a diameter of nearly nine inches. Based on our assessment, he is trapped at a depth of around 220 feet," Tomar told reporters.
He said specialised rescue equipment is being used to reach the child, while alternative strategies are also being prepared to maximise the chances of a successful rescue.
"Our emergency response teams reached the site immediately, and personnel from the Army and NDRF have joined the operation. If the current rescue method does not succeed, heavy machinery has been arranged to dig a parallel shaft to safely reach the child," he added.
Officials said the borewell had reportedly been dug by a neighbouring family and was allegedly left uncovered, leading to the tragic accident. The administration is expected to investigate the circumstances surrounding the incident once rescue operations are completed.
Rescue personnel continue to work relentlessly at the site, with authorities stating that every possible effort is being made to bring the child to safety at the earliest. The operation was still underway at the time of filing this report, and further updates are awaited.