A woman in Kerala had a harrowing experience when the land she was standing on while washing clothes caved in and she fell into a well, situated in the neighbour's compound, through a tunnel formation that was over 35 feet deep.
The incident took place at Irikkur, near Mattanur, on the suburbs of Kannur district on Thursday afternoon.
Forty-six-year-old Ubaima was washing clothes in the backyard of her house when the land caved in and she fell into it. People who heard her screaming rushed to the spot and saw a tunnel formation on the ground. On subsequent search, following Ubaima's screaming sound, she was spotted in a well situated in the neighbouring plot, which was around 10 metres away from the spot the tunnel was found and which was around 35 feet deep.
Fire and Rescue Service Personnel reached the spot and rescued her. She suffered only minor injuries but was under severe shock. Hence she was hospitalised.
Senior fire and rescue officer G Manoj Kumar told DH that it was indeed a narrow escape for the woman as she did not get trapped in the tunnel but fell directly into the well.
The tunnel was in a 60-degree-slanting position and had a length of around 35 feet. If she was trapped in the tunnel, it would have been very risky rescue operation. The well is around 40 feet deep and the tunnel's opening was at around 35 feet.
Prima facie, it seemed like soil pipping. Local people said that a cave formation in the well was spotted earlier also. The earth there could have become loose owing to frequent wetness. Geology experts would be visiting the spot to evaluate the exact cause.