E-Paper
Two-year-old dies after falling into 200-ft borewell in MP’s Ujjain
Toddler fell into 200-ft borewell in Ujjain; body recovered after 22-hour SDRF-NDRF rescue, postmortem confirms drowning
A two-year-old boy died on Friday after falling into a borewell in Badnagar of Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district, police said.
The child, Bhagirath Dewasi, had slipped into a 200-foot-deep borewell around 7.30 pm on Thursday. After a 22-hour-long joint operation by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the body was retrieved.
Ujjain superintendent of police Pradeep Mishra said that the body was transported from Jhalaria village to the government hospital in Badnagar. “Strict action will be taken following an investigation against anyone whose negligence is found to have contributed to this tragedy,” he added.
The minor had died within a few hours of falling into the borewell, and the postmortem confirmed drowning as the cause of death, chief medical and health officer Ashok Patel said.
Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav expressed grief over the incident and announced financial assistance of ₹4 lakh for the boy’s parents. “Despite immediate rescue efforts, the child could not be saved,” he posted on X.
The minor’s father, Pravin Dewasi, a resident of Rajasthan’s Pali district, was camping in the area with his family to graze sheep. According to the mother, the toddler was playing nearby when he used a stone to dislodge the borewell’s cover. Mistaking the opening for a bucket, he stepped onto it and fell. She rushed to save him, but he had already slipped deep into the shaft.
Rescuers located the child at a depth of 75 feet inside the borewell, which contained water. They used iron rods, ropes, and specialised borewell machinery.
Police said attempts to dig a parallel tunnel using five powerful machines failed due to rocky terrain. Efforts to slip a rescue ring around his hands and pull him to safety were also unsuccessful.
