Punjab Rescue Agencies Save 4-Year-Old Boy Trapped Inside Borewell

A four-year-old boy who fell into a newly dug borewell in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district was rescued safely after a challenging nine-hour overnight operation involving multiple rescue agencies, officials said on Saturday. The child, identified as Gurkaran Singh, was trapped at a depth of approximately 20 to 30 feet inside the borewell near his home in Chak Samana village along the Hoshiarpur-Dasuya road.

According to officials, the incident occurred on Friday evening while the child was playing near the open borewell adjoining his family’s house. Rescue teams managed to pull him out around 12.40 am and immediately shifted him to a hospital for medical examination and treatment. Authorities said the boy appeared stable after the rescue, although his face and clothes were covered in soil when he was brought out.

The rescue operation involved personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force, Punjab Police, district administration officials, fire brigade teams, and local volunteers. Deputy Commandant Pankaj Sharma said the operation was particularly difficult because the loose sandy soil repeatedly collapsed inside the pit, increasing risks for both rescuers and the trapped child.

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Officials said teams initially lowered a camera and oxygen pipe into the borewell to monitor the child’s condition and ensure a continuous oxygen supply. Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain stated that the child’s movements were visible through the camera during the early stages of the rescue, helping teams assess his condition. However, falling soil later obstructed visibility and complicated the operation further.

To reach the child safely, rescuers dug a parallel pit nearly 25 to 30 feet deep before creating a narrow tunnel connecting it to the borewell. Heavy earth-moving machinery was deployed cautiously to avoid destabilising the soil around the trapped child. Officials said more than 40 NDRF personnel participated in the operation, while medical and emergency teams remained on standby throughout the night.

Punjab minister Ravjot Singh and AAP MP Raj Kumar Chabbewal monitored the rescue efforts at the site. Authorities also asked the child’s mother to speak to him during the operation so he could hear a familiar voice and remain calm. Officials praised the coordinated efforts of rescue personnel, police, local administration, and villagers, whose combined response ensured the child’s safe recovery.

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