Rescue operations to lift four-year-old Akshata Malipatil from an open borewell failed here on Thursday as the girl’s decomposed body was retrieved at 9.30 p.m.
Asphyxiation was said to be the cause of the girl’s death.
The rescue operations on the third day lasted till late evening when earthmovers digging a parallel tunnel finally reached the spot where the girl was stuck. Then, the body was retrieved.
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Earlier, the rocky terrain turned out to be a major hurdle as even the heavy machines that were used found it difficult to cut through the rocky layers to create a tunnel. Intermittent rain added to the problem, yet the operation continued.
Even the infrared cameras that were inserted into the open borewell relayed images of only a layer of mud and stone chips.
On Wednesday, a special gadget, designed by M. Manikandan of Madurai, Tamil Nadu, was pressed into service at around 11 p.m.
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However, even after nearly two hours, the machine could not locate the girl.
Meanwhile, the Rural Police arrested the land owner.