INDIA: An 80-hour rescue operation ends in tragedy as the body of a four-year-old girl who fell into a borewell in India's Haryana state is finally recovered
Record ID:
1372122
INDIA: An 80-hour rescue operation ends in tragedy as the body of a four-year-old girl who fell into a borewell in India's Haryana state is finally recovered
- Title: INDIA: An 80-hour rescue operation ends in tragedy as the body of a four-year-old girl who fell into a borewell in India's Haryana state is finally recovered
- Date: 25th June 2012
- Summary: GURGAON, HARYANA, INDIA (JUNE 24, 2012) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (ANI-NO ACCESS BBC) RESCUE OPERATION IN PROGRESS SECURITY PERSONNEL STANDING SECURITY PERSONNEL HOLDING A CLOTH SECURITY PERSONNEL RUNNING SECURITY PERSONNEL RUNNING WITH THE BODY OF FOUR YEAR OLD GIRL WHO FELL IN A BOREWELL, MAHI, KEPT ON STRETCHER MAHI BEING TAKEN INSIDE AN AMBULANCE POLICE OFFICIALS RUNNING TOWARDS A VAN POLICE VAN LEAVING SECURITY PERSONNEL STANDING AROUND THE AMBULANCE AMBULANCES LEAVING SECURITY PERSONNEL AND POLICE OFFICIALS MANAGING THE CROWD OF LOCALS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) BRIGADIER, V.P. SINGH, SAYING: "The borewell in which the girl had fallen was very small. We had to dig another hole in the ground. There were several stones which blocked the connecting tunnel to both the holes. The area is surrounded by Aravalli hills, which is rocky terrain. We faced a lot of problem in cutting the stones, as we could not use a drilling instrument. We went to great pains to break the stones manually." SECURITY PERSONNEL STANDING RESCUE WORKERS SITTING PEOPLE CONGRATULATING THE RESCUE WORKERS (SOUNDBITE) (Hindi) A RESCUE WORKER, GURUDEEP, SAYING: "There was lack of oxygen in the hole. It was also hot inside the hole. Although we could bear the heat but it was difficult work as the hole was very small and we had to crawl to dig a tunnel." DOCTORS TAKING AWAY THE BODY OF MAHI SECURITY PERSONNEL STANDING OUTSIDE THE HOSPITAL MEDICAL STAFF PUTTING MAHI'S BODY IN AN AMBULANCE MAHI'S RELATIVES HUGGING EACH OTHER AND CRYING MAHI'S MOTHER, SONIA UPADHAYA FALLING DOWN ON GROUND POLICE OFFICERS LIFTING SONIA SONIA AND OTHER RELATIVES WALKING TOWARDS A POLICE VAN
- Embargoed: 10th July 2012 09:56
- Keywords:
- Location: India
- Country: India
- Topics: Accidents
- Reuters ID: LVA5K909632QLPTTMLNPG5TO2WW0
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: The 80-hour ordeal of a four-year-old girl ended in tragedy on Sunday (June 24) after she was declared dead by the Chief Medical Officer of a local hospital in Manesar district of India's northern Haryana state, after having being recovered from a borewell.
Local authorities had launched intensive rescue and relief operations to save the girl called Mahi after she slipped into the hole while playing on her birthday on Wednesday night (June 20).
Indian Army engineers and National Security Guard (NSG) commandos tried relentlessly to rescue the child.
"The borewell in which the girl had fallen was very small. We had to dig another hole in the ground. There were several stones which blocked the connecting tunnel to both the holes. The area is surrounded by Aravalli hills, which is rocky terrain. We faced a lot of problem in cutting the stones, as we could not use a drilling instrument. We went to great pains to break the stones manually," said Brigadier, V.P. Singh.
A rescue worker identified as Gurudeep was one of those who dug Mahi out from the borewell.
Talking to reporters, Gurudeep said that it was a difficult task because the hole was too small and they had to crawl inside the tunnel to reach to Mahi.
"There was lack of oxygen in the hole. It was also hot inside the hole. Although we could bear the heat but it was difficult work as the hole was very small and we had to crawl to dig a tunnel," said Gurudeep.
Mahi's mother, Sonia Updhaya, broke into tears and reportedly fainted as she received the news of her child's death.
Accidents like this have happened before in India, where children have fallen into uncovered manholes. Federal lawmaker Rao Inderjit Singh said on Saturday (June 23) in New Delhi that the administration has limited powers to curb illegal drilling of borewells in view of lack of formal police complaints.
He passed the buck to common citizens, saying that illegally dug borewells must be reported to the authorities.
However, the lawmaker said that after the rescue operation was concluded, appropriate action would be taken against the person responsible for drilling this ill-fated borewell. - Copyright Holder: ANI (India)
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