SRINAGAR: Two Off-duty cops of Jammu and Kashmir Police fore-fronted the Kupwara rescue Operation in which a minor boy and his uncle got stuck inside a well for around 12-hour thus making a living example of bravery is not something one is born with, but what one chooses to do when pitted against a difficult situation.
On Friday afternoon, around 3:30 Pm, the minor boy identified as Firdous Ahmad alias ‘Babloo’ was playing in his compound when he fell into a well in the backyard of his house.
He started screaming loudly for help, sadly all the elders were out for Friday prayer except her mother, who heard the screams of her son and rushed to Bablo’s uncle’s house, Mohammad Shafi Mir for help. In an attempt to rescue drowned nephew, uncle too fall into well and got trapped.
As the uncertainty was looming around the Incident site, Iqrar Ahmad, 29 year old off duty cop of J&K police was bit shy away from the spot, to offer his condolence to one of his relatives home, however he got a call from his brother about the incident, without wasting time, he rushed towards well on sleeper to see Babloo, his uncle, Iqrar said.
In the meantime few neighbours also rushed to the site, arranged a ladder through which Iqrar went into well. Iqrar saw nephew, uncle buried partially under the debris, he however tried to remove the debris, but Iqrar alone was not enough to do this.
In the initial stage, another off duty cop of J&K police, Mubashir Ahmad residing next door from the site, also becomes part of the rescue operation. Iqrar Mir, Mubashir Ahmad and elder brother of uncle turned out to be hope to the duo trapped in the well, followed by a massive rescue operation by civil, police administration, officials of Fire and Emergency, SDRF and army.
Quoting Iqrar news agency KNS reported that he was the first person to went inside the well and was able remove few rocks that helped them to breath bit freely. “I spoke to uncle by saying that don’t worry, you will be out soon, everyone is coming to rescue you,” he said.
“The both were badly trapped under debris and rocks were falling one after one, I managed plastic bucket to keep that over their head to avoid any injury,” Iqrar said.
“The 12-hour long rescue operation was full of hope and sometimes disappointment as mudslide hampered the rescue operation multiple times, but with the joint effort of everyone and prayers we made a rebirth for them,” he added.
“The 4 JCB’s that were escorted to the site turned out to be the game changers, as they helped to control the mudslide, thus helped us to reach the duo to evacuated hem,” says Mubashir Ahmad.
The officials of police, SRDF, infact everyone there made a great contribution to rescue the duo, everything needed in operation was arranged within no time, officials of the administration, DC Kupwara, DSP himself was there till the operation was successfully taken to its conclusion, Mubashir said.
Sparking painstaking rescue involved to dug a hole alongside the narrow shaft to reach them for safe evacuation of the duo. “We installed a plastic pipe in the well for the passage of oxygen, we provide them warm water, even a chocolate was given to babloo,” Mubashir added.
The duo was taken out alive because of dedicated and mutual committed team work, and assistance of everyone, and because of everyone’s prayers, untiring efforts of the rescue team, “Both the trapped nephew and uncle showed exceptional courage and remained calm during the Twelve hour long rescue operation,” Mubashir and Iqrar said.
Hundreds of volunteers and well-wishers were gathered at the rescue site and praying for safe and early evacuation of the duo.
Many social media users broadcasted the rescue mission on Facebook Live filled the air with prayers and generated the sense of unity that perhaps brought the end of tragedy.
