Infant trapped in Punjab borewell, rescue operations on

Chandigarh, June 7 (IANS) Efforts were underway on Friday to rescue a two-year-old boy who fell into a 150-foot narrow abandoned borewell in a village in Punjab's Sangrur district over 24 hours ago, officials said here.

It will take eight-10 hours for rescuers to reach the infant, they said.

Fatehveer Singh is believed to be stuck at a depth of 110 feet in the borewell that has a nine-inch diameter. He is turning two on June 10.

Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori told reporters at the spot that it would take eight-10 hours for the rescuers to reach the boy.

Steps have been taken to ensure adequate supply of oxygen inside the well. Also, a camera has been planted to keep a watch on the child. His movements were being monitored regularly, he said.

The rescue team is digging the earth along the borewell to reach out to the child, who fell into the man-made structure on Thursday at around 4.30 p.m., officials said.

The rescue team, comprising 26-members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), has been involved in the rescue operation at Bhagwanpura in Sunam subdivision since late evening on Thursday.

An attempt was made earlier to pull out the child with the help of a rope. He has been tied with a rope to prevent his slipping down, a rescuer said.

The victim's father Sukhjinder Singh said the child was born after seven years of the couple's marriage.

The borewell has been abandoned for over seven years. This was the second such incident in the region in less than three months.

After a 48-hour-long rescue operation, a one-and-a-half-year-old boy, who fell into a 70-foot narrow borewell in Haryana's Hisar district, was rescued on March 22.