A three-year-old boy fell nearly 70 feet into an open borewell while playing in a field in Madhya Pradesh’s Ujjain district on Thursday evening, triggering a large-scale rescue operation that continued through Friday morning, officials said.
The incident occurred around 8 PM in Jhalaria village under Badnagar tehsil. The child, identified as Bhagirath, is the son of a shepherd family that had arrived in the area three days ago from the Pali district of Rajasthan.
Soon after the incident, police and administrative officials rushed to the spot and began rescue efforts. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF) were deployed, using heavy machinery, including five poclain machines, to dig a parallel pit in a bid to safely reach the child.
Ujjain Collector Roshan Kumar Singh and Superintendent of Police Pradeep Sharma have been present at the site, monitoring the operation. According to the Collector, digging up to 30 feet had been completed by 10:30 pm on Thursday, with continuous progress through the night.
A health department team is also stationed at the site, supplying oxygen to the child. Authorities have lowered a camera into the borewell to pinpoint his exact location and monitor his condition. Efforts are also being made to establish communication with him.
Providing details, TI Ashok Patidar said that members of the shepherd community were grazing sheep in the area when the incident occurred.
“The child fell into the borehole while playing. As soon as the news spread, villagers gathered at the spot, and the police and administration teams were alerted,” he said.
Recounting the incident, the child’s mother, Jatna, said her son had run toward the borewell while she was gathering sheep.
“He removed the cover to look inside and slipped in,” she said. His uncle, Pratap, added that they immediately informed the field owner, who alerted the authorities.
Senior officials, including the Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) and Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDOP), have been overseeing the rescue efforts. The Collector was also present at the site at around 3 am, issuing directions to expedite the operation.
However, the rescue mission has faced challenges due to the depth of the borewell and the presence of water in the surrounding soil, which has complicated the digging process.
A large number of villagers have gathered at the scene since Thursday night, with many assisting rescue teams and praying for the child’s safe return. The family continues to wait anxiously as efforts intensify to bring Bhagirath out safely.
Follow us
