Ujjain (MP), April 10 A two-and-a-half-year-old boy who fell into a borewell in Ujjain district of Madhya Pradesh remained trapped on Friday, as efforts to rescue him by digging a parallel pit slowed down due to rocks, officials said.
The toddler, Bhagirath, fell into the borewell in Jhalariya village, about 75 km from the district headquarters, on Thursday evening, triggering a massive rescue operation involving teams, including the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF).
Authorities carried out the operation throughout the night to rescue the child, who is stuck at a depth of 60-65 feet, but were unable to bring him out, an official said.
Officials said teams were digging a parallel pit to safely reach the child, but encountered rock formations that slowed down the work.
They said a camera was lowered into the shaft to monitor the child, and oxygen supply was being ensured.
"The actual situation will only be known after he is brought out," said Ashok Patidar, in-charge of the Badnagar police station.
Another official said the excavation had reached around 40 feet before encountering rocks.
He said specialized drilling machines have been brought from Bhopal and Indore to cut through the rock.
State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) Commandant Santosh Jat said efforts were being made to pull the child up using a "rescue rope ring."
Ujjain Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma said teams from the NDRF and SDRF are involved in the operation, using nearly half a dozen excavators and JCB machines. He said ambulances and essential equipment have been deployed at the site in view of the emergency.
"All possible efforts are being made to rescue the child safely," he added.
Officials said Bhagirath is the son of Praveen Devasi, a resident of Rajasthan who works as a shepherd.
They said the family was grazing sheep in the village in Badnagar tehsil on Thursday when a stone covering the borewell got displaced, possibly by an animal.
The child, who was walking behind, removed the cover out of curiosity, but slipped into it, they said.
The boy's maternal uncle said the child's mother saw him peering into the deep pit but he fell before she could reach him.
He said the family had arrived in the area three days ago from Gudanla village in Rajasthan's Pali district, while the father had gone back to Pali at the time of the incident.