In Northwestern China, the search continues for boy who fell in manhole. Authorities still struggle to find the 3-year-old boy despite the week-long rescue mission.
In this article, you’ll read:
- The 3-Year-Old Boy Who Fell in Manhole Is Still Missing
- Distressed Father Recalls the Heartbreaking Accident
- Accidents Due to Broken or Missing Manhole Covers
The 3-Year-Old Boy Who Fell in Manhole Is Still Missing
Chinese authorities are still looking for the 3-year-old boy who fell down the manhole. He has been missing for more than a week. The incident happened on May 12, in Shaanxi province, Northwestern China.
According to the state broadcaster, the incident happened during a rainy evening. It occurred when the boy was walking behind his father toward their car in a suburb of Xi’an. On the other hand, his mum and sister were walking behind them.
Mr Yang, the 3-year-old boy’s father, said it was a dark evening, and there was no lighting near the area. He also stated that the meanwhile where his son fell had no cover at all.
The poor little boy went crying after falling down the manhole. As soon as Mr Yang heard his son’s crying, he immediately lit his phone as he was very worried. At the bottom of the hole, the father saw his 3-year-old boy sitting and crying.
Distressed Father Recalls the Heartbreaking Accident
Image Source: iStock
The shape of the manhole is a rectangle; it measures about 60cm by 25cm. The pit, on the other hand, is shaped like a funnel; the lower part is narrower than its top section.
Mr Yang explained more about what happened during the incident. According to him, he crawled down into the hole right away while his wife was holding onto his legs.
By doing so, he was able to see his 3-year-old son. Unfortunately, the little boy had been pushed further down the hole because of the fast-moving sewage water.
Mr Yang cannot reach his son because one of his should was caught by the pole. It prevents him from reaching his son.
“I wanted to reach him, but I was not able to,” said Mr Yang. “I had to helplessly watch my son being washed away.”
The Chinese authorities soon took action. They immediately deployed rescuers to search for the boy. By the end of Sunday, they could check 4.8 kilometres of the drainpipe. Unfortunately, they were still unable to find the little boy.
At present, the authorities are investigating the cause of the accident. What happened remained unclear if the manhole cover was washed away by rising water or if it was stolen.
Accidents Due to Broken or Missing Manhole Covers
Image Source: iStock
The accident involving the 3-year-old Chinese boy is just one of many cases related to the absence of manhole covers. There are other cases of injuries or deaths caused by the absence of manhole covers in China.
There were more than 70 accidents related to it between the years 2017 to 2019. According to China’s procurator authority, these accidents were caused by broken or missing manhole covers.
A Man Fell Into a Manhole With Waist-Deep Water
A few months before the incident involving the 3-year-old boy, a man also fell down a manhole. Fortunately, the manhole has just waist-deep water. According to Xiaoxiang Morning Herald, the incident happened in February of this year.
The man was lifted out of the hole by one of his friends. He said that they found another manhole without a lid about 12 metres away. Additionally, the man said that the authorities failed to put any warning signs on it again.
The road construction company responsible for what happened gave the man some compensation. He was able to receive 1,500 yuan or about 308 dollars.
A 10-Year-Old Boy Died After Falling Into a Manhole
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In another case, a 10-year-old young boy died after falling into a manhole. The incident happened in Wuhan, Hubei, central China, in the year 2019.
The child’s body was stuck in a smaller pipe, according to the authorities. They located him about 500 metres from the hole.
Law Related to Stealing and Damaging Manhole Covers
The chronic absence of manhole covers can cause many casualties.
Concerning this, China’s Supreme People’s Procuratorate amended a law two years ago. This particular law aims to strengthen punishments for those who are stealing or damaging manhole covers.
It is because these kinds of actions could result in more injuries and fatalities related to the absence of manhole covers. The new regulations stipulate that offenders can receive the death penalty in most serious cases.
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