Kanpur (UP), Aug 28 (PTI) A 16-year-old girl, about to tie a rakhi on her brother’s wrist Friday morning, died after falling into a nearly 20-foot-deep defunct borewell at her home after the ground covering it caved in.
Chutki Sharma was standing on the soil covering the abandoned borewell in the courtyard as she exchanged good wishes with her brother on the morning of Raksha Bandhan. As she reached out to tie the rakhi, the ground beneath her suddenly gave way, and she fell into the pit.
Commissioner of Police Raghubir Lal told PTI that the girl fell around 20 feet into the borewell, prompting an extensive rescue operation involving teams of the NDRF, SDRF and fire department.
The girl was eventually brought out from the borewell and rushed to Sarsaul Primary Health Centre, where doctors declared her brought dead, officials said.
The incident took place around 6.40 am in Purwamir village under Maharajpur police station area, around 35 km from Kanpur district headquarters.
According to police, around 60 personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and fire department were involved in the rescue operation.
Rescuers dug a parallel pit with the help of excavators to create a route to the girl.
The operation was conducted cautiously as the surrounding ground and the house were reportedly not structurally stable. Excavators were used carefully to prevent any further collapse, officials said.
Chief Fire Officer Deepak Sharma said the condition of the building was being monitored during the rescue operation.
According to the family, a borewell had been drilled in the courtyard of the house around three years ago but was abandoned after the work could not be completed. A second borewell was subsequently dug at another location.
The family suspects that the abandoned borewell may have weakened the ground, which eventually gave way following recent rainfall.
Police and local rescue teams, along with NDRF personnel, led the rescue operation, officials said. PTI COR CDN ARB ARB
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