The child, identified as Gurkaran Singh aka Vansh (left), was playing near agricultural fields outside his home at around 4 pm when he slipped into the pit (right). (Express photo)Authorities launched a rescue operation Friday evening after a three-year-old boy fell into an open borewell pit at Chak Samana village in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur.The child, identified as Gurkaran Singh aka Vansh, was playing near agricultural fields outside his home at around 4 pm when he slipped into the pit and got trapped nearly 25 feet underground. According to officials, the boy did not fall into the borewell pipe, which is around 90 feet deep, but got stuck in the gap between the pipe and hard earth.Rescue officials deployed a camera inside the pit, which confirmed movement from the child. The visuals showed the frightened boy crying and struggling underground. Authorities said water was also present at the depth where the child was trapped, making the operation delicate and time-sensitive.Hariana Bhunga police station SHO Kiran Singh, present at the site, said the borewell had been dug nearly 15 days ago for extracting water. A 15-inch pipe had been installed and later sealed from the top after water extraction was completed. However, the surrounding excavation pit had not been completely filled back with soil. Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain speaks to the media from the spot, on Friday. (Express photo)“The child was playing nearby when his foot slipped due to the sandy surface, and he fell into the gap created alongside the pipe,” the officer said.On getting information, district authorities launched a rescue operation, pressing four JCB machines into service to dig a parallel trench near the spot to reach the child safely.Must Read | Karnataka’s new law to prevent borewell deaths: what it says, why it is neededSenior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Sandeep Kumar Malik, who is supervising the rescue efforts, said teams from fire brigade, SDRF and medical department have been deployed. The administration also called in the NDRF for additional technical assistance.Story continues below this adTo ensure the operation continued smoothly after sunset, floodlights have been arranged.Punjab Cabinet Minister Dr. Ravjot Singh and Deputy Commissioner Ashika Jain to reached the site to review the rescue operation and monitor arrangements.The incident revived memories of previous such incidents in Punjab that highlighted the dangers posed by abandoned or improperly covered borewells.In 2024 in Fazilka, a child had fallen into a borewell pit and was rescued alive within hours. Prior to that, six-year-old Ritik, son of a migrant labourer, fell into a 95-foot-deep borewell in Bahrampur village near Garhdiwala in Hoshiarpur while running away from a stray dog in May 2022. Rescue teams managed to pull him out after several hours, but he died while being shifted to hospital.Story continues below this adIn June 2019, two-year-old Fatehveer Singh fell into a 150-foot-deep abandoned borewell in Bhagwanpura village of Sangrur district. Despite a 109-hour-long rescue operation involving the Army and NDRF, the child could not be saved.