Chinese authorities continue search for 3-year-old boy who went missing after falling down a manhole
- The boy was walking with his family when he fell down an uncovered manhole in northwestern China last week
- Rescuers have searched the surrounding drainage network but have been unable to locate the child
Chinese authorities are still searching for a three-year-old boy who went missing after falling into a manhole last week.
The incident occurred when the boy was walking beside his father towards their car in a suburb of Xi’an, Shaanxi province, northwestern China, last Thursday evening in the rain, state broadcaster CCTV reported. The boy’s mother and sister were walking behind them.
The boy’s father, surnamed Yang, said it was a dark evening and there was no lighting nearby. The manhole the boy fell down was uncovered, he said.
After hearing his son’s crying, Yang used his mobile phone light and saw the boy sitting at the bottom of the hole.
The manhole is rectangle-shaped, measuring about 60cm by 25cm. The pit is shaped like a funnel, with the lower part narrower than the top section.
Yang said he crawled down into the hole, as his wife held onto his legs. He saw his son had been pushed further down the hole by the fast-moving sewage water.