This is an archive article published on December 13, 2024
‘No movement for 36 hours’: Child trapped in borewell for over 2 days died after water got into his windpipe
During the rescue operation, the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) had sent in a water-proof camera into the borewell. However, no movement of the boy had been detected for 36 hours before he was brought out, officials said.
Written by Parul Kulshrestha
Jaipur | December 13, 2024 07:00 AM IST
3 min read
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The effort to rescue the child involved the digging of another borewell by the NDRF. (File)
A five-year-old boy, who was trapped inside a borewell in Rajasthan’s Dausa district for 57 hours, was brought out late on Wednesday night and was declared dead soon after, with doctors saying he had likely been dead for 36 hours.
On Thursday morning, a postmortem was conducted on the body, which revealed that the child died due to water getting into his windpipe, said Dausa Chief Medical Officer Dr Deepak Sharma.
Aryan, the son of farmers Guddi Devi and Jagdish Meena, had fallen into a borewell on private land in Kalikhad village at 3.15 pm on Monday.
During the rescue operation, the National Disaster Relief Force (NDRF) had sent in a water-proof camera into the borewell. However, no movement of the boy had been detected for 36 hours before he was brought out, officials said.
NDRF Deputy Commandant Yogesh Kumar said Aryan’s movement was last detected at 3 am on Tuesday. “No movement was seen when the camera was inserted at 9 am on December 10 (Tuesday). There was no movement of any kind for 36 hours before the child was brought out (on Wednesday night). In such a situation, it is suspected that the child died on the morning of December 10,” said Kumar.
Dr Sharma said the child’s windpipe was filled with water. “It is predicted that… the water level (in the borewell) had risen for some time. The water went inside the child’s nose and got into the wind-pipe, which caused his death…” He said the postmortem was performed on Thursday morning, and that Aryan is believed to have died 36 hours before being rescued.
The effort to rescue the child involved the digging of another borewell by the NDRF.
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Mali Ram, SHO of Kalikhad police station, said that the borewell the child fell into was not properly cemented and that there was a fear that it could collapse. “That is the reason a new borewell was dug up by the NDRF team. Machines were called in to the spot and the borewell was dug up on Wednesday. After some time, a machine stopped working, so a new machine was brought in from Sawai Madhopur. The process took a long time due to the position of the child, who was trapped on an underground motor. NDRF officials feared that the child might slip further,” he said.
Rescuers did not send food for the child, fearing that it could cause him to slip further down from the spot he was stuck at.
At 11.30 pm on Wednesday, Aryan was brought out of the borewell. He was immediately taken to hospital in an ambulance equipped with an advanced life support system, official said.
A devastated Jadgish Meena, Aryan’s father, told reporters that the pain of losing his child would never go away, and expressed the hope that such incidents can be prevented in the future.
Parul Kulshrestha is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Rajasthan. A lawyer turned journalist, she brings a unique cross-disciplinary perspective to her reporting, blending legal precision with deep social inquiry to cover one of India's most culturally and politically vibrant regions.
Expertise and Experience
Legal-Journalistic Synergy: Parul’s transition from a legal background to mainstream journalism provides her with a distinct advantage in interpreting policy, legislation, and judicial impacts. This expertise allows her to "read between the lines" of government orders and court rulings affecting the public.
Diverse Beat: With years of experience across both mainstream newsrooms and independent journalism, she has built high-level authority in several critical areas:
Nomadic Tribes & Marginalized Communities: She is recognized for her sensitive and in-depth reporting on the struggles and rights of Rajasthan's nomadic populations, often giving a voice to those outside the traditional political spotlight.
Gender & Social Justice: Parul focuses on the intersection of law and gender, covering issues ranging from women’s safety and reproductive rights to the socio-economic empowerment of rural women.
Environmental & Political Reporting: She tracks Rajasthan’s complex political landscape—including electoral shifts and bureaucratic changes—alongside critical environmental concerns like water scarcity and land use.
Academic & Professional Pedigree: Her background as a lawyer, combined with her rise to the rank of Principal Correspondent at a national broadsheet, establishes her as a senior voice in the media landscape. ... Read More
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