Hoshiarpur, May 16
A four-year-old boy who fell into an open borewell while playing near his home in Hoshiarpur was rescued safely after an intensive rescue operation lasting nearly nine hours, officials said on Saturday.
The incident took place on Friday evening in Chak Samana village, near Bhikhowal, along the Hoshiarpur-Dasuya road. The child, identified as Gurkaran Singh, became trapped at a depth of around 20 to 30 feet inside the borewell. Rescue personnel managed to pull the child out around 12.40 am and immediately shifted him to a hospital for medical examination and treatment. Officials said the child appeared stable after the rescue.
The operation involved teams from the National Disaster Response Force, the State Disaster Response Force, the Punjab Police, the district administration, fire brigade personnel, and local volunteers.
Deputy Commandant Pankaj Sharma said the rescue operation remained challenging due to loose, sandy soil that repeatedly collapsed during digging. “Our rescuers worked continuously throughout the night under difficult conditions,” Sharma said, adding that the child’s condition was stable after the rescue.
Punjab minister Ravjot Singh and AAP MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal remained present at the site and monitored the operation. Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain said the administration acted immediately after receiving information about the incident around 4 pm.
She said rescue teams initially lowered a camera and an oxygen pipe into the borewell to monitor the child’s condition and maintain oxygen supply. Rescue personnel later dug a parallel pit up to a depth of around 25 to 30 feet before creating a narrow tunnel to safely reach the child. Jain said more than 40 NDRF personnel participated in the operation. Heavy machinery and earth-moving equipment were also arranged with assistance from local villagers to support the rescue effort.
Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Kumar Malik praised the coordinated efforts of the rescue teams and said their teamwork played a crucial role in saving the child’s life. Officials said medical and emergency teams remained on standby throughout the operation as large numbers of local residents gathered near the site during the overnight rescue mission.
