Two-Year-Old Still Trapped in 35-Foot Shaft After Nine Hours

A dramatic rescue operation is under way in Tanore, Rajshahi, where a two-year-old boy has remained trapped for more than nine hours after falling into a 35-foot-deep abandoned borehole, only 8 inches in diameter. Despite relentless efforts from emergency responders, the child had not yet been rescued at the time of the latest reports.

The Incident

The accident occurred on Wednesday (9 December) shortly after 1:00pm in the village of Koelhat Purbo Para, under Pachandar Union. The child, Sajid, son of local resident Rakibul Islam, was playing nearby while his mother gathered paddy straw from a field. In a moment of misfortune, he slipped into the uncovered borehole and disappeared underground.

The hole, originally dug a year earlier by landowner Kachir Uddin to install a deep tube-well, had been abandoned after no water was found even at 35 feet. Shockingly, the shaft remained open and unfilled for an entire year, posing a hidden danger to anyone in the vicinity.

Rescue Operation Underway

Emergency services were notified immediately after local attempts to retrieve the child proved unsuccessful. Three units from Tanore, Chapainawabganj, and Rajshahi Sadar Fire Service Stations rushed to the scene and began a coordinated rescue attempt.

By 9:00pm, fire service officials confirmed that the effort was ongoing. Oxygen is being continuously supplied into the shaft through a pipe to keep the child alive. Alongside this, rescue workers have deployed cameras to assess Sajid’s position inside the borehole, though visibility has been compromised due to soil collapse.

An excavator has been brought in to dig parallel to the borehole, allowing rescuers to approach safely without causing further cave-ins.

Official Statements

Didarul Alam, Assistant Director of the Rajshahi Sadar Fire Service Station, said:

“Before we arrived, villagers attempted to pull the child out, which caused soil to fall into the hole. We have attempted to locate him using cameras, but the noise from the crowd makes determining his condition difficult.”

He added that efforts were continuing at maximum speed:

“Oxygen supply has been ensured. Excavation is underway beside the hole. Our primary objective is to rescue the child alive.”

Background of the Uncovered Borehole

Increasing Concern Among Locals

Hundreds of anxious villagers have gathered at the scene, waiting in distress as rescuers battle time, darkness, and unstable soil conditions. The entire community remains on edge as the rescue enters critical hours.

A Race Against Time

The situation is deeply precarious. With oxygen being pumped and excavation progressing, rescuers are confronting the inherent dangers of narrow-bore rescues — limited space, risk of collapse, and uncertain visibility.

Authorities remain hopeful, but the coming hours will be decisive in determining Sajid’s fate. The nation watches with bated breath as emergency workers continue their desperate effort to save the young child trapped underground.