Infant stuck inside borewell in Odisha, rescued after 8-hour-long operation 

It was a moment of joy and jubilation for rescuers and local people after the newborn baby that was found stuck in an open borewell at Laripali in the Rengali area of Sambalpur, was rescued safely late on Tuesday night following an 8-hour-long operation. 

Every life is precious

SP Mukesh Bhamu said that all facilities were arranged beforehand. “There was no injury on the rescued infant. It was important for us to rescue to child first. We will later investigate who actually had thrown the infant into the borewell,” he added.   

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik said every life is precious and extended his thanks to the ODRAF, Fire Services & other rescue team members, and the district administration for the successful rescue.

Extreme care for infant's safety

A senior official of the administration said that after cutting the pipe, a plate was pushed two feet below where the infant was stuck, following which the victim was rescued. The iron pipe of the borewell was cut open with an electric cutter instead of a gas cutter to ensure the safety of the infant. DG of Odisha Fire Services, Sudhansu Sarangi, who was providing updates on the progress of the rescue operation at regular intervals, said that extreme care was being taken for the safety of the infant. “As the iron pipe of the abandoned borewell was old and rusted, it was cut with an electric cutter. Earlier, a victim location camera had been sent to the site to ascertain the condition of the stuck child,” he added.

Cries of the infant were the clue 

As per reports, after hearing the cries of the infant, locals came to know about the incident in the noon. A team of fire personnel initially rushed to the spot and started the rescue operation. Later, an ODRAF team joined the exercise. The infant was stuck at around 15 to 20 ft depth inside the borewell and its cries were being heard sporadically from the well, triggering hope for the rescuers.

Light to keep the infant warm 

Three excavators were deployed to dig a pit alongside the borewell. A team of health officials also reached the spot. Rengali BDO visited the spot to monitor the rescue operation. Keeping in mind the likelihood of suffocation, the rescuers pumped oxygen through a pipe into the borewell.  As rescuers inched closer to the infant stuck in the borewell, they were elated to hear its cries. Amid cold conditions, a filament bulb was sent inside to ensure warmth for the infant. A victim location camera was sent from Bhubaneswar to the spot to get proper visuals of the condition of the infant.   

Following the rescue, the infant was taken in an ambulance which was kept ready at the spot to facilitate prompt medical intervention. Senior administration officials along with Police, Fire Services, and medical personnel were present at the spot throughout the rescue operation.

Infant thrown into borewell?

As per sources, the circumstantial evidence hinted that the infant was most likely thrown inside the borewell. An official present at the site said that the place where the borewell was present is a private land known as Sriram Field. The borewell has been lying open for about 15 years and was left unused after digging, informed sources.