4-year-old boy rescued from Hoshiarpur borewell after 9-hour operation

Hoshiarpur: The four-year-old child, who fell into a borewell on Friday evening in Chak Samana village in Hoshiarpur district, was rescued safely after nearly a nine-hour joint operation by the NDRF, SDRF, Punjab Police, administrative officials and local volunteers.Gurkaran Singh, son of Harinder and Asha, a labourer, was brought out of the borewell around 12.40 am on Saturday and rushed to a hospital for a medical check-up along with a medical team in an ambulance.Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain and SSP Sandeep Kumar Malik led the operation. DC said that after digging a parallel pit up to a depth of 25 to 30 feet, the rescuers got access to the borewell shaft through a narrow tunnel leading to safe evacuation. The boy was stuck at a depth of nearly 30 feet and the requisite machinery was brought to the site to intensify the rescue operations, she said, adding that the NDRF team, comprising more than 40 officials, ensured great help in the operation with their expertise during this tough time.Meanwhile, Punjab Jails minister Dr. Ravjot Singh and Hoshiarpur Member Parliament Dr. Raj Kumar Chabbewal remained present at the site during the entire operation.Accompanied by a team of doctors, Dr Ravjot Singh on Saturday reviewed the child's condition at the civil hospital and interacted with medical staff treating him. He also met the child's family during the visit to the hospital.The minister, who is also the local MLA, said the boy's condition is stable and he was given liquid intake in the morning. A team of senior doctors is continuously monitoring his health."He is recovering well. Necessary investigations have been conducted. A mild infection has been detected, which is expected after prolonged exposure to soil and dust during the incident," the minister said.He said the child has undergone an eye check-up due to irritation caused by dust particles and is likely to remain under observation for 48 hours. If recovery continues, he may be discharged by Monday.Hospital officials said the child has been given treatment for minor eye irritation and is otherwise stable.Senior medical officer Dr Navjot Singh and Dr Neha Pal said Gurkaran has been kept under observation as a precautionary measure. They said the child is responding well to the treatment.