Kohima: In a collaborative rescue effort in Kohima on Monday morning, a child trapped inside a slab-covered drainage was rescued following an hour-long operation. The incident occurred at Old NST in the heart of Kohima town.
Deputy Commissioner and Chairman of the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA), Kumar Ramnikant informed that the child, a resident of Daklane, accidentally found himself trapped under a slab-covered drainage.
Ramnikant explained that on receiving the information at around 9:15 AM, the SDRF was alerted, and they swiftly arrived at the scene by 9:35 AM.
After a meticulous one-hour operation, the child was rescued unharmed. The child, a non-Naga resident, was taken to KOHIMAS hospital through an ambulance and was later shifted to the Naga Hospital Authority Kohima (NHAK).
While the exact cause of the incident is yet to be determined, he said that it was suspected that the child had been playing near the drainage, attempting to cross it from one side to the other.
As the incident brings to light the inherent dangers of playing near or attempting to traverse drainage systems, which are not designed for such activities, he informed that the concerned department has been alerted to ensure that there is no open drainage in the town area to prevent similar occurrences in the future.
The DC also said that the Child Welfare Committee (CWC) and District Child Protection Officer (DCPO) have been notified, and appropriate actions will be taken by the law, as per the investigations.
Ramnikant said that the child sustained no physical harm but has undergone a traumatic experience. The boy has been entrusted to the care of his uncle as authorities await further reports on the incident.
As per information received, the SDRF, Kohima Police, Fire and Emergency Services, and Assam Rifles, supported by the public, collaborated in the rescue operation.
Sources indicate that the child likely fell into the drainage while collecting empty bottles. Due to the narrow and steep opening, his friends outside were unable to reach him.
In an attempt to find an exit, the child crawled underneath the closed drainage towards the pedestrian footpath but was trapped. To enable his rescue, rescue teams drilled open the concrete slab as there no accessible opening nearby.
Meanwhile, the Kohima Police took to X, formerly Twitter saying, “On 22/04/2024, in the early hours at around 0730 hrs, a child was trapped inside drainage at old NST area Kohima, later the child was rescued by a combined team of Kohima Police, SDRF, Fire & Emergency Services and KOHIMAS Hospital”.
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