In a heartbreaking incident, a 10-year-old boy, Sumit Meena, who had been trapped for 16 hours in a borewell in Madhya Pradesh’s Guna district, passed away shortly after being rescued and admitted to the hospital.
Sumit fell into the open shaft of a borewell while flying a kite on Saturday at around 5 p.m. in Pipliya village. The borewell, located in an unmarked area, did not have any casing, as it had not struck water. The boy became trapped at a depth of 39 feet, with no way to escape.
The rescue operation was launched immediately after Sumit fell into the borewell, but the narrow passage and depth of the shaft posed significant challenges for the rescue team. Rescuers dug a parallel 25-feet pit and worked through the night to make a passage connecting it to the borewell. Despite the difficulties, the team successfully reached Sumit at 9:30 a.m. the next day.
“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,” said Dr. Rajkumar Rishishwar, Guna’s chief medical officer.
Following the rescue, Sumit was rushed to a hospital in Raghogarh, but his condition had already deteriorated severely due to the cold exposure and his prolonged time in the borewell. Despite the efforts of medical professionals, the boy succumbed to his injuries shortly after his arrival at the hospital.
In a related development, ongoing rescue operations in Rajasthan’s Kotputli continue to give rise to concerns. A three-year-old girl, Chetna, remains trapped in a 700-feet deep borewell after falling into it six days ago. Despite ongoing efforts and the use of heavy machinery, there have been no breakthroughs in the rescue operation, and the child’s condition remains dire. The prolonged rescue has raised questions about the delay in implementing alternative rescue methods and the lack of adequate support for the child during the operation.
In a heart-wrenching appeal, Chetna’s mother, Dholi Devi, cried out for help, urging authorities to rescue her daughter. Her uncle, Shubhram, expressed frustration at the lack of response from officials, who directed questions to the district collector.
This incident follows a similar tragedy two weeks ago in Rajasthan’s Dausa district, where a five-year-old boy was rescued from a borewell after more than 55 hours but could not be saved.
These incidents have raised concerns about the safety and regulation of borewells across the country. Authorities are urged to take swift action to prevent such accidents in the future and ensure the safety of children in rural areas.
The incident also highlights the urgency of better planning and faster responses to such emergencies. While the rescue teams showed remarkable dedication in both cases, the loss of young lives has sparked calls for improved safety protocols, immediate intervention, and more effective rescue strategies.
Sources By Agencies
