The Hindu : Front Page : Boy rescued from 60-ft. pit after two days

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Jul 24, 2006

Front Page

Front Page

Boy rescued from 60-ft. pit after two days

Army men pull out five-year-old Prince at a village near Kurukshetra; boy's plight sparks nationwide prayers

SAFE AT LAST: Prince in his father's arms after he was rescued. - PHOTO: AP

SHAHABAD (Haryana): In a dramatic operation, five-year-old Prince was rescued by the Army on Sunday, about 50 hours after he fell into a 60-foot pit while playing at Haldheri, a village near Kurukshetra.

People cheered loudly as a crane hoisted the boy, wrapped in a white sheet and cradled by a soldier, from a well. The ordeal united the nation in prayers for his well-being. As Prince spent what were the most harrowing two days of his life in the pit — barely 16 inches wide — soldiers, aided by experts from the Fire Service and the Air Force, worked relentlessly to free the child.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who joined millions in praying for Prince, sent his blessings to the boy's family and said the Government would take responsibility for his "full medical care."

Haryana Chief Minister Bhoopinder Singh Hooda, who was at the site, announced a payment of Rs. 2 lakh to the boy. He also announced a grant of Rs. 51,000 to each member of the rescue team who entered the well.

On being pulled out, Prince was taken to a nearby gurdwara and then rushed to hospital.

Prince looked dazed but did not appear to be in any pain, as a soldier handed him over to his mother Karamjit, who shed tears of joy. She and his father Ram Chander had been sitting at the site for the past two days.

ARDUOUS HOURS: A television image of the rescue efforts by the Army (right) and the CCTV picture of Prince in the pit on Sunday. - PHOTO: PTI

The rescuers dug a tunnel from a dried-up well parallel to the narrow and dark pit. A soldier finally reached Prince a little before 7 p.m. Throughout the operation, the rescuers monitored the boy's condition using a CCTV system that allowed him to talk to people on the surface. Food and water were also lowered to the boy. A doctor said Prince might need counselling to overcome the trauma of being trapped in a pit for so long.

Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee congratulated the Army, the Air Force, Maharashtra Fire Service and the Haryana Government for a very well-coordinated effort to rescue the boy. — PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Front Page