92 hours and counting: two-year-old still trapped in 150-ft-borewell despite frantic rescue ops

Sangrur: Two-year-old Fatehvir Singh on Monday remained stuck in a 150-feet-deep bore well, over 92 hours after he fell into it, with frantic rescue operations underway to pull out the toddler.

Fatehvir, who is the only child of his parents, fell into the unused bore well in a field on Thursday evening, when he was playing near his house, in Bhagwanpura village. The boy had accidentally stepped on the bore well which was covered with a cloth, officials said, adding that his mother had tried to rescue him, but failed.

A team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) assisted by police, civil authorities, villagers and volunteers, were carrying out the rescue operation amid scorching heat. Some volunteers were also extending help in this regard, officials said.

A parallel bore well has been dug by installing reinforced cement concrete (RCC) pipes of 36 inches in diameter to rescue Fatehvir. Rescuers have planned to reach an appropriate depth and then dig horizontally for about two to three feet to bring out the toddler from the other bore well where he is stuck.

Meanwhile, a large number of people from several parts of the state have assembled around the site and have been praying for the safety of child. Some of villagers also criticised the district administration, blaming it for alleged delay in bringing out Fatehvir from abandoned bore well.

More than 90 hours have passed and district administration has failed to retrieve the child stuck in the bore well, said a local villager. Sensing anger of villagers, the grandfather of Fatehvir urged people to be patient.

Police have erected barricades around the site to prevent people from coming to the rescue site. Heavy police force has been deployed to maintain law and order.

Punjab PWD minister Vijay Inder Singla said that the NDRF, civil authorities, villagers and volunteers have been involved in rescue operations day and night. Our target is only to retrieve the child safely. All are working hard to bring him out, said Singla who has been camping here.

Akali leader Parminder Singh Dhindsa who visited the site alleged that the NDRF lacked required equipment to take out the child from the bore well. “What I feel is that NDRF does not have required equipment. Five days have passed and family is losing patience. We have so many modern techniques like laser technology which could help in dealing with such an emergency situation,” said Dhindsa.

Sikh religious preacher Baljit Singh Daduwal also visited the site. Earlier, a NDRF team had tried to pull out the child with the help of rope but in vain. The incident has again brought to fore the dangers posed by uncovered bore wells, which have turned into virtual death traps for children.

In March, an 18-month-old boy was rescued from a bore well in Haryana’s Hisar district, two days after he had fallen into it.

In 2006, a massive operation was launched to rescue a five-year-old child, Prince, who had fallen into a bore well in a village in Kurukshetra. He was pulled out safely nearly 48 hours later.