A three-year-old child accidentally fell into a borewell while playing near his house in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district on Friday evening, prompting a massive rescue operation involving police, disaster response teams, and local volunteers.
According to officials, the incident took place around 4 p.m. in Bhakhowal village, where the child was reportedly playing in the field near his family’s residence when he slipped and fell into the borewell pit.
As news of the incident spread, villagers rushed to the spot and immediately began efforts to rescue the child before informing the authorities. Residents claimed movement from inside the borewell could still be sensed, raising hopes that the child may be rescued safely.
Senior Superintendent of Police Sandeep Kumar Malik reached the site and monitored the rescue operation. Teams from the police department, fire brigade, ambulance services, doctors, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and other emergency units were deployed at the scene. Officials said the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had also been called for assistance.
The administration pressed four JCB machines into service to speed up excavation work around the borewell. Additional lighting arrangements and emergency equipment were installed to ensure the rescue operation continued smoothly during the night.
Officials, including the SDM and senior administrative officers, remained present at the site and coordinated the operation continuously.
Authorities said the child belongs to a Punjabi family living in a makeshift house built near agricultural fields. Social organisations also joined the rescue efforts, including a team led by Bhai Manjot Singh Talwandi of Baba Deep Singh Sewa Dal, which has been assisting the administration on the ground.
The rescue operation was continuing at the time of filing this report.