Heroic rescue work in vain, little Mahi expires

, June 24: A heroic effort to save four-year-old girl Mahi, who was trapped inside a narrow, 70-feet borewell since Wednesday, went in vain for the child could not survive the 86-hour-ordeal and died. Gurgaon District Magistrate P C Meena confirmed her death while doctors at the ESI Hospital, where she was rushed in an army ambulance, said she was 'brought dead'.

Mahi had fallen into the borewell at Kho village near Manesar while playing with her friends on June 20, which was incidentally her fourth birthday. Oxygen was constantly supplied to Mahi inside the pit since the rescue operation had begun. Over 100 personnel drawn from army, police, fire, Gurgaon Rapid Metro Rail, health and revenue departments, besides the local people engaged in drilling a pit parallel to the borewell to reach the child fast.

The operation to rescue the little girl was, however, hindered by rock obstacles and lack of oxygen.

Mahi's family was left shattered by her death. They also alleged that the rescue operation had started late. Neeraj, Mahi's father and a factory security supervisor said they had informed the police soon after she had fallen into the borewell at 11 pm on Wednesday but the authorities allegedly turned up after one-and-half hour. "She cried for two hours but slowly turned silent," her father said, blaming the officials' lack of efforts for her death.

DM Meena, meanwhile, ordered a judicial inquiry to be carried out by the Additional Deputy Commissioner about digging an illegal borewell. An FIR had also been lodged against Rotash Tayal, a local resident for illegally digging the borewell.

The National Commission for Protection of Child Rights (NCPCR) also wrote to the Haryana government seeking an explanation on whether the Supreme Court's guidelines on borewells had been abided by in this case. It also wanted to know whether the state government had taken any action in case there was a violation of law. An action report had been sought from the government within ten days.

Kids falling into open borewells has been a concern of late. It all started with the six-year-old Prince, who had fallen into a 50-feet-deep hole at Kurukshetra, also in Haryana, in 2006. He was, however, safely rescued. Another five-year-old boy fell into a borewell of depth of over 250 feet. He was also brought back safely. But not all were lucky like them and had faced a fate similar to Mahi. She is the sixth kid to have died after falling into open borewells in the last three or more years.

Oneindia News