5-year-old boy dies after being taken out of borewell in Rajasthan after 57 hours

A five-year-old boy named Aryan, who fell into a 150-foot-deep borewell in Kalikhad village of Rajasthan’s Dausa district, was declared dead after a rescue operation that lasted 57 hours. Aryan fell into the borewell around 3 pm on Monday while playing in a field. The rescue operation began within an hour to save him.

Rescue teams, including personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), worked tirelessly to reach the child. A parallel tunnel was dug using JCBs, drilling machines, and a piling rig. Oxygen was supplied through a pipe, and cameras were used to monitor Aryan’s condition. However, the operation faced significant challenges, including unstable soil, water levels around 160 feet, and underground steam that obstructed visibility.

District officials confirmed that a technical fault in one of the drilling machines caused delays, necessitating the deployment of a replacement machine. Rescuers continued to dig under these conditions, eventually pulling Aryan out of the borewell on Wednesday evening. He was immediately rushed to the hospital in an advanced life-support-equipped ambulance through a green corridor established for the fastest transit.

Despite these efforts, Aryan was declared dead upon arrival at the hospital. Rescuers highlighted difficulties in monitoring the child’s movements due to steam and safety risks involved in operating under such hazardous conditions. They maintained focus on completing the rescue operation despite the obstacles.

Earlier in September, a similar incident occurred in Dausa’s Bandikui area, where a two-year-old girl fell into a 35-foot borewell and was rescued after 18 hours. Such incidents have brought attention to the risks posed by unsecured borewells, which continue to be a hazard in rural areas.