Thai baby who fell into 13m deep well rescued after dramatic 18-hour operation

After an 18-hour rescue operation, a 19-month-old girl in Thailand was successfully rescued after she fell down into a deep well. Doctors said she is recovering, despite showing signs of fatigue.The incident took place on Monday afternoon in Tak province, near the Myanmar border.The parents of the child were working in a nearby field when they heard the screams of their daughter who had fallen down the 13m (42ft) deep shaft while playing.

The girl is said to have fallen through a 30cm (12in) wide gap at the top of the well.

The parents—who are from Myanmar—raised the alarm after they heard cries coming from the nearby well.

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"She has signs of fatigue but still has good vital signs," local police chief Ratsaran Ketsoising told AFP.

Following the incident, rescue teams were dispatched to the site and worked overnight using a mechanical digger.

They dug a 10m deep pit adjacent to the shaft, afterwards, oxygen was pumped into the well to allow the child to breathe.

However, their rescue operation was impeded temporarily over fears that the well could collapse in on itself and harm the child if they continued to use the digger. Then, they used hand-held shovels to remove the final few metres of earth.

According to PBS Thailand, rescue workers reached site around 8 pm local time (01:00 GMT), but were unable to pull her out immediately, as she appeared to have suffered an injury to her leg.

After the successful rescue operation, people began cheering for the girl.

"We are so glad we could rescue her safely," rescue worker Chanachart Wancharernrung told reporters.

"We have been trying since yesterday afternoon. We worked without sleep. Everyone helped out."

(With inputs from agencies)

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