Soldiers join desperate bid to rescue boy stuck in concrete pile in Vietnam

Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Jan 3 (EFE)-. Vietnamese army personnel have joined rescue teams to help in an operation to rescue a 10-year-old boy who has been trapped for three days inside a 35-meter-deep shaft of a concrete pile, local media reported on Tuesday.

Thai Ly Hao Nam fell into the narrow hole when he went with neighbors to collect metal from a bridge construction site in the southern Dong Thap province.

Vietnam’s prime minister Pham Minh Chinh has said all necessary resources would be mobilized to save the boy, Tuoi Tre newspaper reported Tuesday.

The rescue operation, which on Monday afternoon was reinforced by army soldiers, was focusing on removing the soil from around the concrete pile.

Images from the scene show dozens of rescue workers and heavy machinery being used to remove earth from around the pile.

Construction security cameras capture the moment when the boy suddenly disappears from view after he fell into the hole while walking on the uneven ground in the area, according to the video released by VnExpress.

Since the accident occurred before noon on Saturday, dozens of police and firefighters have been trying to pump oxygen into the shaft as well as sending him water, although he has reportedly stopped responding to resume workers. EFE

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