Efforts to save the boy began on Sunday after his father posted his disappearance on Chinese social media. (Photo : Getty Images)
A Chinese boy was found dead after being trapped for over 100 hours in an abandoned well in north China's Hebei Province on Thursday despite intensive rescue efforts.
Wu Sujie, a local government official involved in the rescue attempt, told the state-run Xinhua News Agency that the boy was found with no vital signs.
The six-year-old boy, surnamed Zhao, fell down a 80-meter-deep dry well in Lixian County, Baoding City, on Sunday last week while harvesting vegetables, rescue workers said. His father posted for help on the social networking app WeChat, leading to a rescue operation that involved more than 500 personnel and an estimated 100 excavators.
Measuring 30 centimeters in diameter, the well was too narrow for any adult to climb into and forced rescuers to dig out a 120-meter-diameter, funnel-shaped hole in the well in order to reach the boy, according to Xinhua.
Life-detecting devices, infrared cameras, and mechanical rescue arms were used in the search, Wu said.
Rescue efforts have also been hampered by the soft sandy soil, which is prone to collapse, prompting workers to support the shaft during the excavation.
The accident generated widespread attention both in the mainland and abroad, which many netizens offering to help in the rescue by donating food and money. Locals also rushed to the scene to prepare food for the rescue team.
Ma Xiaochun, an engineering professor at China University of Geoscience, told Beijing News that when such accidents happen, rescue workers typically contact the victim first while providing oxygen, lights, and food.
"In this case, it was difficult to do so because they were unable to detect the boy, not to mention his physical condition," Ma said.
The incident also sparked discussion online about China's dry wells, which are increasingly being abandoned due to diminishing water levels and increased demand caused by rapid urbanization.
The local government will be conducting an investigation into all dry wells in Lixian, Wu said.
