Five-year-old boy falls into borewell; rescue operation on

Resque operation in progress at Kailasanathapuram near Vijayanarayanamangalam in Tirunelveli district. Photo: A. Shaikmohideen

A massive rescue operation is on to save a five-year-old boy, who accidentally fell into a deep borewell in a hamlet near Nanguneri on Wednesday.

Police said the villagers of Kailasanathapuram near Vijayanarayanam had sunk a deep borewell near Malaiyarasan Temple in connection with the annual feast to be celebrated on Friday.

As aquifer in the 200-feet-deep borewell, sponsored by a realtor, was very poor and the water source was almost dry, the PVC pipe fitted on the surface of the borewell was reportedly removed on Tuesday, leaving a huge dangerous hole of 6-inch diameter on the ground.

When the children were playing near the temple on Wednesday morning while the place of worship was being spruced up for the festival, 5-year old S. Sudharshan, son of Sermadurai, accidentally fell into the borewell around 9.30 a.m.

In the process of rescuing the boy and in an attempt to keep him in comfort, people in the vicinity reportedly poured water into the hole even as the police, fire and rescue service personnel and 108 emergency ambulance services were alerted.

Oxygen supply

After the fire and rescue service personnel located the boy trapped at 20-feet depth with the camera, Victim Location Unit, around 10.30 a.m., the personnel manning the 108 ambulance ensured continuous supply of oxygen into the hole through a tube.

To reach the boy, a pit close to the dry borewell was dug with earthmovers and electric driller, which was used due to the sticky soil with abnormal lime content.

A medical team was also kept ready at the site to administer first aid on the rescue of the boy.

Pit dug

After the wide pit was dug for about 13 feet, a huge hole was made with borewell machine for about ten feet deep so that a fireman can jump into it to reach the boy trapped in the borewell.

District Collector R. Selvaraj, Superintendent of Police Vijayendra S. Bidari, Additional Superintendent of Police Chockalingam, Divisional Fire Officer, Tirunelveli, Padmakumar, Station Officer and Palayamkottai Fire Station Subramanian have camped at the site to supervise the rescue operation.