A 16-year-old girl fell into a nearly 20-foot-deep abandoned borewell on Friday morning in Uttar Pradesh’s Kanpur district when the ground beneath her collapsed as she was about to tie a rakhi on her brother’s wrist. The incident has triggered an extensive rescue operation involving multiple disaster response teams.
Information was available with The Chenab Times that the girl, identified as Chutki Sharma, was standing on the soil covering the defunct borewell in the courtyard of her home in Purwamir village, under the Maharajpur police station area, about 35 km from Kanpur city. As she reached out to her brother, the ground caved in, leading to her fall into the pit.
The Commissioner of Police, Raghubir Lal, confirmed that the girl had fallen approximately 20 feet. He stated that rescue teams, including personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and the fire department, were immediately dispatched and are making concerted efforts to ensure her safe extraction. The incident occurred around 6:40 am.
According to official sources, the rescue operation involves around 60 personnel from the NDRF, SDRF, and the fire department. Rescuers are employing excavators to dig a parallel pit, aiming to create a safe passage to reach the trapped girl. By afternoon, approximately 12 feet of excavation had reportedly been completed.
Officials involved in the operation acknowledged the difficult circumstances but affirmed that efforts to bring the girl out safely would continue. The operation is being conducted with extreme caution due to concerns about the structural stability of the surrounding ground and the house itself. The careful use of excavators is intended to prevent any further collapse.
The Chief Fire Officer, Deepak Sharma, indicated that the condition of the building was being continuously monitored throughout the rescue efforts. Investigations revealed that the borewell had been drilled in the courtyard of the house around three years ago but was abandoned when the work could not be completed. A second borewell was subsequently dug at a different location.
The family members have expressed their suspicion that the abandoned borewell might have weakened the ground structure, which subsequently gave way, potentially exacerbated by recent rainfall. Police and local rescue teams, alongside NDRF personnel, are maintaining their focus on the ongoing rescue mission.
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The Chenab Times News Desk
