JALANDHAR: A four-year-old child fell into a borewell while playing near his home in Chak Samana village, around 20 km from Hoshiarpur, on Friday evening, triggering a massive multi-agency rescue operation that lasted nearly nine hours. Hoshiarpur senior superintendent of police (SSP) Sandeep Kumar Malik told TOI around 11 pm that rescue teams had reached the child, identified as Gurkaran Singh, and were trying to bring him safely to the surface. Oxygen was being supplied through a pipe while a camera was lowered into the borewell to monitor his condition. Multiple teams from the NDRF, SDRF, Punjab Police, fire brigade, health department, administrative officials and local residents joined the rescue efforts soon after the alert was received, said Hoshiarpur deputy commissioner Aashika Jain. The rescuers dug a parallel pit up to a depth of 25 to 30 feet and created a narrow tunnel to access the borewell shaft. Gurkaran was believed to be stuck at a depth of nearly 30 feet. Heavy machinery was brought to the site to intensify the operation under floodlights. Officials said the teams managed to communicate with the child during the operation and he responded. A medical team, including a paediatrician, remained present at the spot throughout the rescue. Gurkaran Singh, son of Harinder and Asha, both labourers, was finally brought out of the borewell around 12:40 am and rushed to a hospital in an ambulance for further medical examination. Deputy Commissioner Aashika Jain and SSP Sandeep Kumar Malik led the operation. After the rescue, Jain said the child had been shifted to a hospital along with a medical team for further check-up. She added that the NDRF team, comprising more than 40 officials, played a crucial role in the operation with their expertise during the challenging rescue effort. Punjab Jails Minister Dr Ravjot Singh and Hoshiarpur MP Dr Raj Kumar Chabbewal also remained present at the site throughout the operation.
