In Chhattisgarh, 3 days on, rescue ops on to save boy, 11. He fell in borewell

The boy, Rahul Sahu, fell into the borewell on Friday when he was playing in his backyard.

The rescue operation to save an 11-year-old - who fell in a borewell - has entered the third day in Chhattisgarh's Janjgir Champa district. On Sunday, a team of specialists with remote-operated robots reached the site to help officials to pull the boy out of the 60-feet deep borewell, news agency ANI reported. These robots have been sent from Gujarat.

“We are hoping that we will be able to rescue the child by late afternoon,” a district administration official told PTI. (ANI)

The boy, Rahul Sahu, fell into the borewell on Friday when he was playing in his backyard.

Teams of more than 500 personnel including from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Army are at the site, carrying out rescue work. They are using ultra-advanced machines and vehicles to evacuate the child safely, officials said, news agency PTI reported.

A parallel pit, which was being dug since Friday evening, is nearing its final stage. A tunnel will then be created which will enable rescuers to reach the borewell and evacuate the boy to safety. There is some water inside the borewell where the child is trapped and the NDRF personnel are trying to drain it out with the help of a vessel tied to a rope, according to the report.

Meanwhile, officials are also constantly monitoring Rahul's health through cameras. "He is conscious and showing movement. He was given a soft drink and banana in the wee hours of Sunday and provided juice this morning. A pipe has been installed for oxygen supply in the borewell,” the state government informed in a statement.

“We are hoping that we will be able to rescue the child by late afternoon,” a district administration official told PTI.

Chief minister Bhupesh Baghel is also in constant touch with the officials supervising the rescue work. He also spoke to the child's family and has been assuring them over the phone. "The rescue operation has been going on since yesterday evening. According to the information, it may take 5-6 hours for us to reach Rahul. Banana and juice have been delivered to the child and the family is also talking to the child to motivate him morally. We all pray for his well being," the chief minister tweeted on Saturday.

Baghel, meanwhile, also ordered all district officials to cover borewells to prevent similar incidents in future.