16 Hours Too Late: Boy Rescued From Borewell In Madhya Pradesh Dies

Rescued from a borewell in Madhya Pradesh's Guna after a 16-hours-long operation, a 10-year-old boy died soon after he was admitted to the hospital.

Guna district chief medical and health officer Dr Rajkumar Rishishwar told reporters, "The child was in the narrow borewell for the entire night in the chilly weather. His hands and feet were drenched and swollen. His clothes were also wet and mud was found in his mouth," he said.

Sumit Meena slipped into the open shaft of the borewell at around 5 pm on Saturday in Pipliya village while flying a kite and was trapped at a depth of 39 feet. The borewell did not strike water, and hence no casing had been put on it.

A parallel 25-feet pit was dug, while rescuers used their hands to make a passage between the pit and the 140-feet borewell to retrieve the boy. The operation concluded at 9.30 am, after which he was taken to a hospital in Raghogarh.

Raghogarh Congress MLA Jaivardhan Singh told PTI that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had conducted the rescue operation, pumping oxygen into the borewell. Amid plummeting temperatures, the rescue operation continued through the night.

#WATCH | Guna, Madhya Pradesh: The 10-year-old boy, Sumit who fell into a borewell in the Janjali area of ​​Raghogarh yesterday has been taken out and sent to a hospital. Details awaited. pic.twitter.com/5rSjIsv48j

— ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2024

Meanwhile, in Rajasthan's Kotputli, hopes continue to plummet as he rescue operations to retrieve three-year-old Chetna from a 700-feet deep borewell entered the seventh day. Initial attempts to rescue Chetna using an iron ring attached to a rope failed. On Wednesday (December 25), a piling machine was brought in, and a parallel pit was dug. Heavy rain disrupted the rescue efforts on Friday.

Despite continuous efforts, rescuers have been unable to supply food or water to Chetna, raising concerns about her survival. A team of doctors with an ambulance is stationed at the site.

In a tearful appeal to authorities, Chetna's mother Dholi Devi pleased, "For God's sake, take my daughter out." Chetna's uncle Shubhram said officials remain unresponsive, answering questions with "The Collector ma'am will inform you; she's currently resting".

Rescue teams have completed the welding of the casing pipe by Saturday morning, and will next dig an eight-foot horizontal tunnel at a 90-degree angle. Fans, lights, oxygen, and cutter machines have been sent down the borewell to facilitate the operation. However, authorities have been criticised for the delay in implementing alternative rescue plans.

Two weeks ago, a five-year-old boy was pulled out of a borewell in Rajasthan's Dausa district after a rescue operation that last over 55 hours. However, the child could not be saved.