Hoshiarpur, MAY 16 — A massive multi-agency rescue operation culminated early Saturday morning with the safe extraction of a 4-year-old boy who had fallen into a newly dug borewell in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district.
The child, identified as Gurkaran Singh, became trapped Friday afternoon at a depth of roughly 20 to 30 feet in an open borewell adjacent to his family’s residence in Chak Samana village. Following a grueling nine-hour effort, emergency personnel successfully retrieved the boy at approximately 12:40 a.m. and transferred him immediately to a local medical facility for observation.
“Our rescuers made commendable efforts throughout the rescue operation,” stated National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) Deputy Commandant Pankaj Sharma, who confirmed that the child remained in stable condition despite the challenging environment. Sharma noted that loose, soft soil continuously shifted and fell into the shaft, complicating extraction efforts.
The emergency response was initiated around 4 p.m. on Friday after the district administration received reports of the accident. Local authorities quickly mobilized resources, deploying an oxygen pipeline and a specialized camera down the narrow opening to sustain and monitor the toddler.
“Initially, the footage showed the child moving, which helped rescue workers assess the situation,” Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain stated.
As shifting dirt obscured the camera’s view, technical teams adjusted their strategy. Rescuers utilized heavy earthmoving equipment to excavate a parallel pit to a depth of nearly 30 feet, subsequently boring a horizontal passage to safely reach the trapped child.
The successful mission involved more than 40 NDRF personnel alongside the State Disaster Response Force, regional police units, fire brigade staff, and local volunteers. Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Kumar Malik praised the technical precision of the joint team, stating that seamless cooperation was critical to securing a positive outcome under severe time constraints.
