The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Efforts go futile

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Tuesday, Feb 24, 2009
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Efforts go futile

ANDIPATTI (THENI): After a 29-hour-long operation, four Army personnel removed the body of a six-year-old boy who fell into a 300-ft-deep dry borewell in a farm at Rajadhani near here on Monday.

Led by Commander A.T. Thomas, the team from Tiruchi reached the spot around 4.30 p.m. and pulled the body out of the well using a large rod tipped with blunt hooks at 7 p.m. The body was caught at a depth of 90 feet.

The deceased, Mayi Irulan, went to the farm by 2.30 p.m. on Sunday to see his mother engaged in onion harvesting. Since the mouth of the borewell was covered with onion waste, the boy slid into it.

The fire service personnel started the rescue operation around 6.45 p.m. They used earth moving equipment to dig a pit near the well. But initial efforts were in vain as the rocky surface beneath the soil disrupted the operation. They could not proceed without using detonators to break the rocks.

Collector P. Muthuveeran sought the help of the Army. Mayi was the second son of Alagammal-Ettappan couple, both agriculture labourers and native of Thoppupatti. Acting on a complaint by the parents, the owners of the land were arrested. Locals said the well mouth was covered with a sack and oxygen was not supplied into the well at night to save the child.

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