A two-year-old child stuck in a borewell shaft here was pulled out dead Tuesday morning, bringing a four-day rescue operation to a tragic end.
Rescue workers retrieved Fatehvir Singh from the 150-foot disused shaft in Bhagwanpura village at 4.45 am, after an effort that lasted nearly 110 hours amid diminishing hopes of the boy being brought out alive.
A waiting ambulance, carrying doctors and a life-support ventilator, carried the toddler 130 km away to Chandigarh's Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research (PGIMER). Doctors there said he was dead on arrival.
A post mortem report suggested Fatehvir died due to hypoxia cause by deficiency in the amount of oxygen reaching tissues. Though the report pointed out the toddler had died "a few days back", but PGIMER sources quoting additional details emerging out of post mortem suggested the child's death could have taken place "3-4 days ago".
"On admission, he had no pulse, no respiration and no cardiac activity, hence the child was declared brought in dead," the PGI statement said.
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The death triggered fresh protests with local residents blocking roads, accusing authorities of botching up the rescue operation.
Amid criticism from opposition parties over alleged lapses, Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh asked the state's disaster management group, headed by the chief secretary, to come up with recommendations to deal better with such situation in the future.
Fatehvir had stepped on a disused shaft, covered with a piece of cloth, on Thursday afternoon.
After post-mortem, a helicopter arranged by Punjab government brought the toddler's body back to Bhagwanpura.
Family members and other villagers struggled to hold back tears as the body was placed in a small wooden coffin before being consigned to the flames.
The child had turned two Monday, when he was still stuck at a depth of 125 feet in the shaft.
The toddler was taken to PGIMER amid police security, Sangrur Deputy Commissioner Ghanshyam Thori told PTI.
There was police deployment at PGIMER also. A small group of protesters had gathered at the hospital, condemning delay in the rescue operation.
With a few locals alleging some iron pipes with a hook was used while extricating Fatehvir, Thori categorically rejected the charge, saying no physical harm was done to the child in the recovery process.
Thori further said NDRF managed to clamp both hands of Fatehvir in the early phase of the rescue operation.
"As the child's hands were already clamped, NDRF personnel had been trying at least thrice a day to bring him out of the borewell he had fallen into. The child's position inside the shaft loosened up with the soil being taken out of the parallel borewell and that helped in his retrieval," he said.
With questions being raised over rescue operation, Thori said, "Given the depth of the borewell, it was one of the toughest rescue operations for the NDRF since its inception."
When the child's body arrived from Chandigarh, it was first taken to his home, allowing family members and others to pay their respects. Relatives expressed anger at the authorities.
"They didn't use the proper technique to rescue him early on. Trial and error methods were adopted for days. Where were the modern methods and technology" a relative asked.
Villagers alleged ultimately he was pulled out from the borewell by clamps fastened to his hands and one of them wondered why this method was not employed earlier and why a parallel borewell was dug up.
Another villager said," When the child was pulled out, he was already dead. His body had started to decompose. Why did the administration harass the family and prolong their agony by rushing him to PGI, which is over 150 km away."
The toddler's parents were inconsolable over the death of their only child. Relatives and locals thronged their home.
Fatehvir fell into the disused borewell shaft while playing in the fields at Bhagwanpura village around 4 pm on Thursday. His mother tried to save him, but failed, officials said.
Later, a massive rescue operation, including members of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), was launched to bring the child out.
Rescue workers managed to supply oxygen but no food or water could be provided to him, officials said.
Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh has expressed grief.
"Very sad to hear about the tragic death of young Fatehveer. I pray that Waheguru grants his family the strength to bear this huge loss. Have sought reports from all DCs (deputy commissioners) regarding any open bore well so that such terrible accidents can be prevented in the future," he tweeted.
Condolences poured in from other political leaders as well.
SAD president Sukhbir Singh Badal tweeted, Fatehveer: this is a daylight murder of the most inhuman & beastly kind.
There is no such thing as government in Punjab. When the state is seething with pain & anger, CM is busy in leisure & pleasure in cooler climes. The govt remained absent as the child lay dying. Unforgivable, he said.
AAP leader Harpal Cheema claimed there were lapses on part of the state machinery in handling the rescue operation.
Union minister and SAD's Bathinda MP Harsimrat Kaur Badal tweeted, A great tragedy has befallen the family of Fatehveer. My heartfelt condolences to the parents. May Akal Purakh grant them strength to bear this irreparable loss.
We must now resolve to take steps to ensure such a horrible fate does not visit any Fatehveer in Punjab ever again, she said.
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