Arya News - At least three Fire Service units continued working late into the night in a desperate attempt to rescue the boy alive.
RAJSHAHI – A massive rescue operation is underway in Tanore upazila of Rajshahi after a two-year-old boy, Sazid, fell into an abandoned deep tube-well shaft, about 30 feet deep, on Wednesday afternoon.
The incident occurred around 1pm at Koel Hat Purbo Para village in Panchandar union, police said. By 10:50pm, rescuers had managed to dig nearly 18–20 feet into the ground, confirmed Tanore Fire Service official Abdur Rouf.
At least three Fire Service units continued working late into the night in a desperate attempt to rescue the boy alive. “Every effort is being made to bring the child out safely and unharmed,” Rouf said.
Since 5:30pm, an excavator has been digging a parallel pit beside the shaft while two tractors remove soil. Oxygen is being supplied continuously into the hole to keep the child alive.
According to police, the incident unfolded after a soil-laden trolley suddenly sank into the ground around noon. Curious to see the situation, the child’s mother, Runa Khatun, went to the field with her son. As they walked, Sazid cried out, “Ma!” before slipping into the shaft. Seconds later, faint cries of “Ma, Ma” were heard from underground.
Runa said the shaft’s opening had been covered with straw, making it invisible to her and her child.
Tanore Police Station Officer-in-Charge Shahinuzzaman confirmed the ongoing rescue operation, noting that firefighters rushed to the spot upon receiving the information and began digging with the help of local residents.
Villagers explained that groundwater levels in Koel Hat had dropped significantly. A shaft dug earlier to check water levels had been filled, but monsoon rains caused the soil to settle, reopening the hole.
Hundreds of people from nearby areas have gathered at the scene, anxiously watching the rescue attempt and offering prayers for the child’s survival. Police have cordoned off the area with ropes to control the crowd, OC Shahinuzzaman said.
Rescue efforts were ongoing at the time of filing this report at 11:45pm.