60 hours on, efforts continue to save boy who fell into 400-ft borewell in MP's Betul

According to the latest available information, authorities said that the boy was no longer responding and might have fallen unconscious. Earthmoving machines were brought in to dig a parallel tunnel to get the boy out of the borewell.

Rescue operations are underway for the third day on Friday to save an eight-year-old boy who fell into a 40-feet-deep borewell in Mandvi village of Betul district in Madhya Pradesh. Efforts have been on for more than 60 hours now.

An 8-yr-old boy named Tanmay Sahu fell into a borewell in Mandvi village, in Betul, MP. (ANI Photo)

The boy, identified as Tanmay Sahu, fell into the borewell while playing in a farm around 5pm on December 6. His father, Sunil Sahu, told reporters that his son was playing in the farm and went to another field where he fell into the open borewell.

He said that his daughter, 12, was the one who saw him falling. “We immediately rushed to the spot. He was breathing and we listened to his voice as we enquired. The rescue operation was started from 6 pm onwards on December 6,” he said.

According to the latest available information, authorities said that the boy was no longer responding and might have fallen unconscious. Earthmoving machines were brought in to dig a parallel tunnel to get the boy out of the borewell and a little over 30-feet-tunnel has been dug so far.

“We have a target to reach 45 feet and then dig a tunnel. It might take some time as there are hard stones in the way. The child, however, is not responding as he might have fallen unconscious. Efforts are on to save the boy,” he added.

State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Home Guard, and local police personnel are present on the spot to ensure that the rescue operation is continuously progressing.

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan has also directed the officials to make adequate arrangements to bring the boy out safely.