Daijiworld Media Network - Belagavi (SP)

Belagavi, Apr 24: About 500 persons belonging to different rescue teams including that of National Disaster Response Force, seven fire brigades, and rescue teams from Sangli, Mescom, Hatti mines etc are working round the clock to bring out six-year-old girl, Kaveri Madar, who has been trapped in an abandoned borewell at a farm in Jhunjarawadi village of Athani taluk in the district on Saturday. Kaveri had accidentally slipped and fallen into the abandoned borewell when playing with her sister and brother.

Rocks are being encountered by the teams rigging a tunnel parrallel to the borewell with a width of five feet. The tunnel has been dug 26 feet and they hope to get hold of the girl after digging another four feet. The rescue work is repeatedly encountering difficulties on account of rocks, and JCBs are working to break them. Blasting of rocks as an option has not been helpful in view of risks involved.

The borewell in question is 400 feet deep. It belongs to Shankar Hipparagi and stands in his land since the last some years since it went dry. Hipparagi, it is learnt, has become untraceable after the tragedy. It is said that the girl's hand and clothes are visible through the camera and attempts made to pull her out with the help of ropes and hooks have failed.

Kaveri's mother, Savita, is being treated in a hospital because of high blood pressure and inability to eat anything due to anxiety at the condition of her daughter. Fire officer, Fakirappa Kalakundi, said that they have taken measures to see that the girl does not slip further down. Because of long time involved in rescue work, officials are holding their fingers crossed and praying that at the end, the entire operation will prove to be successful and the girl comes out hale and healthy.

With efforts picking up pace, Kaveri is likely to be brought up to safety shortly.