Ambala, July 1 -- A gruelling 19-hour rescue operation to save a four-year-old child who fell into an open borewell in Dhanaura village ended in heartbreak, as the toddler was declared "brought dead" shortly after being pulled out from the shaft.

The tragedy unfolded early Tuesday morning, triggering a massive multi-agency response that brought together the Indian Army, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and local district authorities in a frantic race against time.

The rescue mission faced severe environmental and technical hurdles from the outset. Water had begun seeping into the narrow shaft from a depth of about 60 feet. The child was stuck in a section where water was gradually ri...