Punjab: Sangrur residents angry over borewell death of toddler

People in Punjab's Sangrur district held protest against the state government on Tuesday over the death of a two-year-old boy, who fell into a 150-feet-borewell on June 6 and was pulled out after a frantic operation lasting nearly 200 hours.

The protestors expressed anger against the administration over the delay in reaching out to the toddler, Fatehveer Singh, who was rushed to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research here.

"The body is in a decomposed state and a foul smell is emanating from it. It seems that the child died two days ago," said an employee at the hospital's mortuary.

Angry over the incident, some residents believe the authorities didn't do enough to save the child.

Fatehveer boy fell into an abandoned borewell last week outside his house. In the joint operation, the NDRF and local administration dug a parallel pit to rescue the child.

There was not enough space in the 9-inch diameter borewell for the child to move. But a movement in his body was noticed in the early hours of June 8, almost 40 hours after the incident.

The authorities were keeping a vigil over the child through a small surveillance camera and he was even supplied oxygen supply via pipes inside the pit.

The team, though, was unable to provide him food or any liquid as his face was covered with a jute bag over which he had stepped and slipped into the hole.

An NDRF team even tried to pull out the child with the help of rope but the attempt failed.

Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh has sought a report from all Deputy Commissioners on open borewells in the state in order to evade similar accidents.