Child dies after falling into abandoned borewell in TN

Vellore (TN), Apr 12: A two-and-a half-year-old boy who fell into an abandoned 250-ft deep borewell at a village near here was declared dead at a hospital after being brought out of the deep hole following eight hours of efforts by rescue agencies.

"The child was declared dead at Wallajahbad Government Hospital and we have registered a case against the farm land owner Rajendran for leaving the abandoned borewell open," Arcot Taluk Police Inspector P V Vijayakumar told PTI.

The mishap occurred at Koorampadi village near here and local authorities alerted the Fire and Rescue Services and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) officials.

The borewell in a farm land was approximately 250 feet deep and the child who accidentally fell in it while playing was struck at about 20 feet.

The borewell was abandoned after water had dried and the opening left open. Inspector, NDRF, K K Roy, who was part of the rescue team said the boy was unconscious when he was pulled out.

"We provided manual, equipment and technical support to the Fire and Rescue Services team in rescue efforts," he said.

Assistant Vellore District Fire Officer C Murugesan said the child which fell into the borewell by 9 am was pulled out by 5.45 pm with the help an arm-like clasping device.

"The child was rushed immediately to Wallajahbad Hospital," he said. A parallel pit of about 20 feet was also dug to bring out the child in case the equipment failed. Oxygen was let into the open borewell hole all through rescue efforts which began by 9.45 am.

The death of the child is the latest in a series of such borewell deaths involving children in Tamil Nadu over recent years.

PTI