3-year-old Odisha girl rescued after being trapped in borewell pit

A three-year-old girl who was trapped in a borewell pit on Monday was finally saved after eight hours of rescue programme in Odisha's Angul District.

A joint operation, launched by Odisha fire brigade and ODRAF (Orissa Disaster Rapid Action Force) team, led to the rescue of Radha Sahu and was later rushed to the Angul District Headquarters Hospital.

Radha had accidentally fallen into an open borewell pit of about 50 metres in Gulasar village of Jamunali Gram Panchayat under Handapa Police Station limits. Apparently she fell in the open pit while playing. She was heard yealing for help.

Soon after, fire brigade personnel and police personnel got engaged in the rescue operation, assisted by the villagers.

Even specialised 10-member ODRAF team from Cuttack was rushed into action.

According to sources, a camera was sent into the pit, which confirmed that the child was alive.

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, in a tweet, breathed a sigh of releif, after the successful rescue of Radha and wrote, "Commend @angul_dm, firemen, police, ODRAF & good samaritans for successful rescue of Radha from borewell in Angul district. The feat could only be achieved by excellent teamwork. Acts like these inspire public confidence in Govt machinery. Praying for little one's speedy recovery"

Meanwhile, Angul ADM Srinivas Behera has ordered for a probe into the incident on why the borewell pit was kept open. He has even directed the Lift Irrigation Executive Engineer to submit the enquiry report by tomorrow positively and those responsible for it will face action.