In India, a 10-year-old boy has been trapped in a narrow well shaft for four days. Rahul, who is deaf, fell into the 24-meter-deep well in the courtyard of his parents’ house on Friday while playing. To free him, the emergency services are currently trying to dig a rescue tunnel next to the shaft.
So far, bad weather and venomous snakes and scorpions inflamed during the dig in Chhattisgarh state have hampered rescue efforts. In addition, hard surfaces are slowing down tunnel construction, a government spokesman said.
Boy gets food and oxygen
The state leader himself, Bhupesh Baghel, is convinced that Rahul can be rescued alive from the well. “We’re going to make it,” he wrote on Twitter. According to him, the 10-year-old recently ate a banana that rescuers lowered him. In addition, the boy is supplied with fresh air via an oxygen line and monitored via a lowered camera.
“Since the boy cannot speak or hear, we face a major challenge,” said District Police Chief Vijay Agrawal. So far, however, he has “responded well” to the emergency services.
Not an isolated case
Uncovered wells are common in rural Indian villages. Time and again children die who fall into such pits. In 2019, after a four-day rescue operation, a two-year-old child was found dead alone from a well in the northern state of Punjab. In the same year, a one and a half year old child was rescued in the neighboring state of Haryana. It was stuck in a well for two days.
Source: Krone
I’m Wayne Wickman, a professional journalist and author for Today Times Live. My specialty is covering global news and current events, offering readers a unique perspective on the world’s most pressing issues. I’m passionate about storytelling and helping people stay informed on the goings-on of our planet.
