Several people in Madhya Pradesh’s Vidisha, who had gathered around a well to watch others try to pull out a girl, fell into the 50-feet-deep well after its boundary wall caved in due to the pressure. So far, three bodies have been recovered. Two bodies were retrieved late last night, while another one was recovered this morning, the Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said.
A police official said that efforts were on to pull out more people feared trapped under the rubble of the well’s wall that had suddenly caved in last night, throwing people standing on it into the water.
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The girl fell into the well around 9 pm and some people climbed down to rescue her while others were standing on the parapet wall around it to help them, a police official said. The wall suddenly crashed, throwing those standing on it into the water, he said, adding that several of them were feared trapped under the rubble.
Sixteen people have been rescued and rushed to a hospital. The water from the well is being pumped out, Vidisha Guardian Minister Vishwas Sarang said.
No one has been found dead yet, Sarang, who is also the state Medical Education Minister told.
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The operation will take time, the minister, who rushed to the scene following Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan's direction, said.
The incident took place at Ganj Basoda, about 50 km from the district headquarters. Chouhan tweeted saying a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team has been rushed to the spot.
"All I can tell you at the moment is that a rescue operation is on," District Superintendent of Police Vinayak Verma told PTI from the spot.
Around 11 pm, a tractor engaged in the rescue operation, along with four policemen, skidded into the well when the area around it caved in, eyewitnesses said.
Chouhan tweeted saying he has spoken to the chief secretary as well as the director general of police about the incident.
"An SDRF team left for the spot with all necessary equipment for the rescue operation. The Commissioner and IG too have left for the incident site. I am continuously taking stock of the situation and in live contact," he said.
With PTI inputs
