Four-year-old falls into 220-foot borewell in Ambala; NDRF, SDRF and Army race against time

A four-year-old boy fell into an open 220-foot-deep borewell in Haryana’s Ambala district on Tuesday morning, triggering a massive rescue operation involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), the Army and local authorities.

The incident took place in Dhanora village at around 7 am when the child, identified as Nirbhay, accompanied his father, Manjeet Singh, to deliver food to his grandfather, who was working in the fields. According to the family, the boy was playing near the agricultural land when he accidentally slipped into the uncovered borewell.

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Deputy Commissioner Ajay Singh Tomar and other senior district officials rushed to the spot to monitor the rescue efforts. Rescue personnel have been working continuously to trace and safely retrieve the child from the borewell.

Officials said the operation has been complicated because water begins to accumulate inside the borewell at a depth of nearly 60 feet, making it difficult to determine the child’s exact location. Rescue teams initially measured the borewell’s depth using ropes before lowering underwater cameras in an attempt to assess the situation inside. However, the child’s precise location had not been confirmed at the time of filing this report.

Recounting the incident, the boy’s father said he had left Nirbhay near his grandfather while work was underway in the fields. After playing for some time, the child reportedly wandered towards the open borewell. Family members believe he was throwing soil into the pit before leaning forward to look inside after hearing echoes from below. The ground around the borewell was damp, and he is suspected to have slipped while peering into it.

The family said they rushed to the borewell after hearing a loud sound and repeatedly called out to the child. Villagers and relatives initially tried to rescue him on their own before informing the police through the emergency helpline around 7:30 a.m. Fire services were alerted, following which NDRF, SDRF and Army teams were pressed into the operation.

According to officials, the borewell had been drilled to a depth of approximately 220 feet for installing a tube well. The presence of water beyond the 60-foot mark has emerged as a major challenge for rescue personnel.

The incident has drawn large crowds from nearby villages, with residents gathering at the site as the rescue operation continued. Nirbhay’s father is employed with the power utility through the Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam (HKRN), while his grandfather had been working in the paddy fields since early morning.

Witnesses said the child’s father repeatedly pleaded with rescuers to save his son and was inconsolable during the operation. He reportedly collapsed at the site and was shifted to the Civil Hospital after losing consciousness. The boy’s mother, Jasbir Kaur, remained in deep shock, while the family, including his 12-year-old sister, awaited updates as rescue teams continued their efforts.