A 10-year-old boy trapped underground in a concrete foundation pile at a bridge construction site in South Vietnam since December 31 could not be rescued. Vietnamese portal VNExpress reported that the boy had died, citing local authorities.
Ly Hao Nam, 10, fell into a pile on Saturday when he and his friends were scavenging for scrap metal at a construction site. According to officials, the stake driven into the ground was 35 meters long.
The tragic end of the dramatic rescue operation, which lasted about 100 hours, was announced to the press by a representative of the Dong Thap Provincial Government, Dong Tan Phu. Given his injuries and the amount of time he spent underground, experts concluded that the boy could not have survived.
A boy stuck in a basement at a construction site could not be savedVietnam News Agency/PAP/EPA
Army has been mobilized for rescue operation
“He was stuck in a hollow shaft so deep, with so many injuries and not enough oxygen for a long time (…) it was impossible for him to survive,” Phu said, as quoted by AFP.
Hundreds of people and heavy equipment took part in the operation, while army and engineers were mobilized to help. Rescuers tried to pull the pile out of the ground, but these efforts were unsuccessful. VNExpress reported that the priority now is to bring the boy’s body to the surface.
Main photo source: Vietnam News Agency/PAP/EPA
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