Operation to rescue toddler trapped in borewell to reach final stage soon: TN Deputy CM

Operation to rescue a two-year-old boy who fell into a borewell in Nadukattupatti of Tiruchirappalli district on October 25, will reach final stages within four to five hours, Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam said on Monday.

The infant named Sujith Wilson fell into the borewell while he was playing near his house at 5:30 pm on Friday. Later, he slipped further down and is now stuck at 100 feet into the borewell.

Highlighting that due to the presence of hard rocks in the area there is a delay in the drilling process, Panneerselvam said, "However, within four or five hours, the rescue operation will reach its final stage."

"After the failure, it was planned to drill near the deep well. Following this, a rig machine was used," the Deputy Chief Minister who visited the rescue operation site said.

After the rig machine was damaged due to the presence of rocks, a high-speed engine was brought for drilling from Ramanathapuram.

"This machine is currently in operation. This machine is capable of drilling 10 feet per hour. The 35-foot hole has been drilled so far," he added.

The Deputy Chief Minister further said that unused deep wells throughout Tamil Nadu will be closed immediately to prevent such incidents in the future.

Earlier, Panneerselvam visited the rescue operation site where efforts are underway to rescue the toddler who fell into a borewell in Nadukattupatti.

Panneerselvam's son and Theni Lok Sabha MP OP Raveendranath Kumar also visited the site.

The Deputy Chief Minister also met the child's parents and consoled them. Later, he sat on the rescue site to monitor the situation.

More than six crews from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) as well as the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been deployed to rescue Sujith.