Ekeomah Atuonwu
After spending over 100 hours trapped in a well with a snake, an Indian boy was discovered alive.
According to local news reports, Rahul Sahu, 10, became trapped in a 60-foot well in Chhattisgarh state in central India five days ago, with only a frog and a snake for company. He didn’t explain how he got into the well.
Since then, a rescue operation involving 500 people from the army, police, and the National Disaster Response Force has been underway.
Across from the well, rescuers dug a 70-foot hole. The two holes were then connected by a 15-foot tunnel, allowing rescuers to reach Sahu.
The child, whose rescue was complicated due to him having hearing and speech impairments, was provided with oxygen while he waited underground for his rescue.
Local authorities said that severe weather conditions, scorpions and venomous snakes appeared during the rescue mission, which delayed efforts.
Sahu, who was given more oxygen immediately after his rescue, is now recovering in hospital, where he is stable.
The chief minister of Chhattisgarh state, Bhupesh Baghel, had been following the case closely.
It is not clear what type of snake lay underground with Sahu. However, the country is home to nearly 300 species, of which around 60 are venomous.
Many wells across rural parts of India are uncovered, meaning they pose a danger to young children and animals.
This was not the first time a child has become trapped in one.
A 2-year-old was found dead inside a well in Punjab in 2019, following a four-day rescue mission. A 1-year old trapped for two days was then successfully rescued shortly afterwards from a well in Haryana state.
In February this year, attempts to rescue a 5-year-old boy who had fallen 100 feet into a well in Morocco were closely followed around the world. The boy, called Rayan, ultimately died.
