trapped-in-borewell-for-10-days-chetna-dies-after-rescue

A tragic end to a harrowing 10-day rescue operation unfolded in Rajasthan’s Kotputli, after a three-year-old girl, Chetna, who had been trapped in a borewell since 23 December, succumbed to her injuries shortly after being rescued.

Despite the best efforts of rescue teams, Chetna, who had been stuck 700 feet below ground in a borewell in the village of Kiratpura, was found dead upon arrival at the hospital.

The incident happened when Chetna, playing outside, accidentally fell into the open borewell on the afternoon of December 23. Hearing her cries minutes later, her family rushed to the site and discovered her trapped in the narrow shaft of the borewell. 

Emergency services quickly responded, with the National and State Disaster Relief Forces deploying teams to the scene alongside a medical team.

Oxygen was supplied to Chetna through a pipe while rescue teams initially attempted to pull her out. However, after their first efforts failed, a more complex operation began.

 

Experts from Delhi and Jaipur Metro were brought in, and the tunnel’s direction was corrected after initial miscalculations. As the days passed, conditions worsened, and neither food nor oxygen could be provided to the child.

 

Hospital authorities confirmed Chetna's death shortly after her rescue, despite immediate efforts to treat her.

 

Dr Chetanya Rawat, the hospital’s medical officer, shared, “She was brought in and immediately moved to the emergency room, where a special bed was set up for examination. After the doctors performed a procedure, they confirmed the child was no longer alive. The body was then transferred to the morgue. The postmortem examination has been completed as per the collector's orders.”

 

The rescue operation, which saw a dedicated effort from local and expert teams, was fraught with complications. Collector Kalpana Agarwal explained that the borewell had tilted after a certain depth, leading to mistakes in the rescue tunnel.

 

“Finally, experts from Delhi and Jaipur Metro were called in to assist the rescue teams,” she said. The operation, initially expected to require an 8-foot wide tunnel, had to be expanded to 12 feet for safe execution.

 

Chetna’s grandfather, Dayaram, expressed gratitude for the relentless efforts of the rescue teams, despite the bitter cold. However, he also emphasised the need for preventive measures. "I urge authorities to cover open borewells to prevent similar tragedies in the future," he said.