Boy Found Alive After Spending Over 100 Hours Trapped in Well With Snake

A boy in India was found alive after spending over 100 hours trapped in a well with a snake.

Rahul Sahu, 10, became stuck in a 60-foot well in Chhattisgarh state in central India five days ago, with a frog and a snake as his only companions, according to local news reports. It was unclear how he got into the well.

A rescue operation, involving 500 personnel including the army, police and the National Disaster Response Force, has been under way ever since.

Rescuers dug a 70-foot hole across from the well, Indian news site Wionews reported. A 15-foot tunnel was then built to connect the two holes, so that rescuers could get to 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, BBC News reported.

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.

Following the successful rescue, Baghel tweeted a video of Sahu recovering in the Apollo Hospital in Bilaspur.

"Our brave Rahul Sahu is synonymous with courage," the chief minister tweeted. "Went to meet him today, met his mother and family members. The team of doctors is taking good care of him. The government will arrange for his treatment, his education. It was possible because of everyone's prayers and collective efforts."

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.

In another post Baghel said "understandably the challenge was huge."

"But our team stands calm in the face of adversity. If the path is tricky, our will is strong. With blessings and dedicated efforts of the rescue team, Rahul Sahu has been brought out. We hope and pray he gets better soon," he tweeted.

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 inside 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.