18-month-old boy falls into 60-ft borewell in Haryana; rescue operations on

An 18-month-old child fell into a 60-feet-deep borewell in Haryana's Balsamand village on Thursday and a massive operation is underway to rescue him, officials said.

The child is safe, Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) in Hisar, Joginder Singh, said.

Oxygen tubes have been dropped to help the child breathe, the officials said, adding that biscuits and juices have also been sent down the borewell.

Nadim, fell into the borewell when he was playing with his friends outside his house, according to a villager.

"The rescue operations are on. NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) personnel and experts from the army, assisted by local authorities are on the job. As of now, the child is safe," he said.

Earthmovers and other equipment have been pressed into service to rescue the child, and a medical team is also at the site, the officials said.

On how long could it take to rescue the boy, the DSP said,"Massive operation is on, but these are technical issues and hence, no definite time-line can be given".

Police were informed about the incident by the boy's family members and villagers.The child's father is a labourer.

Hisar Deputy Commissioner Ashok Kumar Meenasaid legal action will be taken against the person who dug the borewell without taking permission from the department concerned.

The accident has again brought to the fore the dangers posed by uncovered borewells, which have turned into death traps for children.

In 2006, a massive operation was launched to rescue five-year-old Prince, who had fallen into a borewell in a village in Kurukshetra. He was pulled out safely nearly 48 hours later.