In the latest in a series of similar incidents, Thamizharasan, a two-and-a-half-year-old child died after falling in a 350-foot-deep abandoned borewell in Koorambadi, in Arcot taluk, about 33 km from Vellore.
The accident happened even as his mother Geetha and uncle Madhavan were watching him play.
After an 8-hour rescue effort, the child died in the Government District Headquarters Hospital in Walajapet at 6.30 p.m. The child reportedly died of respiratory distress. The body has been sent for a post-mortem.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel dug a parallel hole and then a horizontal passage with a drilling machine and seven earthmovers to reach the trapped boy. All through the exercise, oxygen was supplied to the boy through a tube, with the assistance of a 108 Ambulance Service team, under the supervision of the Health Department. A National Disaster Response Force team from Arakkonam joined the rescue efforts.
At about 5.20 p.m., the child was lifted out of the pit and rushed to the hospital, but it was too late.
Inconsolable
Madhavan, maternal uncle of the child, who was inconsolable, told newspersons that even as he and Geetha cautioned Thamizharasan against going near the borewell, the child stepped on a tyre, which covered the pit, and fell into it. The child’s mother, Geetha, fainted on seeing the boy fall.
Madhavan said the borewell was drilled five years ago, but as it did not yield water, it was closed. A month ago, it was re-opened for deepening. Though it was covered with a couple of heavy stones, someone replaced the stones with a tyre.
When asked about the frequency of such accidents in the district, Mr. Nanthagopal said 350 abandoned borewells were identified and closed in the district in the last one year.
The villagers, who this correspondent spoke to, said borewell rescue equipment should be made available in every district to facilitate quick rescue operation.
Many a time equipment had to come from places like Tiruchi, Madurai and Coimbatore.
The boy’s father, Kutti, is working in Abu Dhabi. Geetha is living with her parents in nearby Thamalur village. She and the boy had come to her uncle’s house on Saturday.
School Education Minister K.C. Veeramani, Vellore Collector R. Nanthagopal and Superintendent of Police P.K. Senthilkumari were at the spot to supervise the rescue operations.
