NEW DELHI: A chase after a cut kite nearly ended in tragedy for a nine-year-old boy in Rajasthan’s Alwar district after he fell into an abandoned borewell and remained trapped underground for nearly five hours before rescuers brought him out safely late Monday night.
Bhanu, son of Shishram, was pulled out at around 11pm from the borewell in Butoli village. He was conscious and able to speak after the rescue, according to officials. He was subsequently taken to a nearby hospital for a precautionary medical examination.
The borewell was reported to be about 400 feet deep. Bhanu was trapped at an estimated depth of 40 to 50 feet.
The accident occurred as the boy ran towards a field after a kite that had been cut during kite flying.
Residents said an old borewell in the field had been covered with a stone. Bhanu stepped on it while running, and the stone shifted, sending him down the shaft.
The borewell had reportedly been out of use for a long time. Villagers said the field also saw little activity, and people in the area were unaware of the danger posed by the abandoned shaft.
Police and administrative officials were alerted at around 6.30pm, Additional Superintendent of Police Priyanka Raghuvanshi said.
Rescue teams then began efforts to reach Bhanu while keeping contact with him inside the borewell.
Oxygen was supplied to the boy, and rescuers were also able to give him water as the operation continued.
Teams of the State Disaster Response Force and the National Disaster Response Force joined the operation. Three JCB machines were deployed to excavate the area surrounding the borewell.
SDM Manisha Resham, Tehsildar Manish Kumar Sharma, DSP Narendra Kumar, and Station House Officer Rajesh Kumar were among the officials present during the operation, according to the information provided.
The effort continued for nearly five hours before Bhanu was finally brought to the surface at around 11pm.
His rescue triggered cheers among villagers and officials who had gathered at the site.
Raghuvanshi said the boy appeared to be in good health and was communicating after being pulled out. Officials nevertheless sent him for a medical examination as a precaution.
The operation also saw the involvement of Sachin Chaudhary, described in the information provided as an NDRF national-level technical expert and a resident of Naugaon in Alwar district.
Chaudhary was reportedly on leave in Naugaon when he learnt about the accident through social media.
He travelled to Butoli and reached the rescue site at around 9.30pm, where he coordinated with personnel and assisted with the technical aspects of the operation.
According to Chaudhary, Bhanu was brought out within around 10 minutes of his joining the rescue effort.
For the boy’s family and residents who had spent hours waiting at the site, the successful operation brought a tense night to a safe end.
