Prince freed after 50-hour ordeal, nation celebrates

In a dramatic operation, six-year-old Prince was today rescued by Army soldiers nearly 50 hours after he had fallen into a 60-foot pit while playing in a village near Kurukshetra.

People cheered loudly and applauded as a crane hoisted the boy, wrapped in a white sheet and cradled by a soldier, from the depths of the pit in Haldheri village.

Prince turned six during the ordeal, which united the nation in prayers for his well-being. As Prince spent what were the most harrowing two days of his life in the pit, barely 16 inches wide, soldiers aided by experts from the fire service and air force worked relentlessly to free the child.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who joined millions in praying for the boy, sent his blessings to Prince's family and announced the government would take responsibility for his "full medical care". Haryana Chief Minister Bhoopinder Singh Hooda, who was present at the site, too announced a payment of Rs 2 lakh to the boy.

On being pulled out, Prince was taken to a nearby gurdwara and then rushed to a hospital.