Kurukshetra (Haryana), July 23 (IANS) Indian Army soldiers, backed by police and rescue workers, Sunday continued with heroic efforts to save the life of a five-year-old child who fell into a 60-feet-deep tube well Friday evening in Haryana's Kurukshetra district.

Nearly 40 hours after he fell, Indian Army personnel, assisted by the Haryana police and the Kurukshetra district administration, continued to move ahead inch by inch to connect a parallel tunnel with the one-foot-wide well at Hatheri village near Shahbad town of Kurukshetra. The boy, named Prince, fell into it accidentally while playing with friends.

Doctors at the spot monitoring the child with the help of a closed-circuit television camera (CCTV) lowered into the well Saturday evening said that he appeared fine despite the fall. He was lying on a two-three-feet wide pit, officials said.

"He has consumed some milk and eaten a chocolate that was lowered into the pit. He sat up in the wee hours of the morning. This has given us a lot of hope that he will survive," said one of the doctors.

CCTV cameras captured the survival instinct of the boy as he fought off an insect that tried to come close to him as some food was lowered to the pit.

The rescue operation launched by the 66 Engineers regiment of the Ambala Cantt-based 2 Corps of Indian Army since 3 p.m. Saturday, continued till Sunday morning.

The operation was led by Col S.K. Vidyarthi. Nearly two-dozen officers and personnel of the army were tirelessly engaged in the operation without a break.

Cranes were pressed into service to help dig the parallel tunnel.

The rescue operations slowed down after night fell and later early Sunday following a drizzle.

Hundreds of people from the village and nearby areas continued to gather near the well. The local administration erected barricades to keep people at bay. However, the villagers helped the rescuers in removing mud that was being dug out from the parallel tunnel.

Many people, including parents of the child, remained awake throughout the night Saturday. A prayer spot was made by the boy's mother near the well.

Officials of the army, district administration and police continued to work throughout the night to rescue the boy. Two crane operators, who continued to work for over 15 hours, also did not give up.

Kurukshetra Member of Parliament (MP) Naveen Jindal said in Delhi that the rescue operation was in its last phase and the boy would be rescued within a couple of hours.

TV news channels showed people all over the country and Indians settled abroad praying for the well-being of the child. They appreciated the role of the Indian Army that was trying its best to rescue the child.