Rescue teams in Vietnam are actively refining a plan this week as they work to free a 10-year-old boy who has been trapped for four days inside a 35-meter-high concrete pillar. The incident has prompted a coordinated rescue operation involving local authorities and specialized crews deep in the construction site in Dong Thap province.
The boy fell into a hollow concrete pile while walking on uneven ground near a bridge construction site. When the accident occurred, the child slipped into a narrow opening with a diameter of about 25 centimeters, triggering an urgent response from nearby workers and emergency services.
Security cameras captured the moment the child disappeared from view, heightening concerns and accelerating the response. Rescue teams mounted a methodical effort to reach him, deploying excavation machinery, cranes, augers, and a supply of oxygen to sustain him during the extraction process.
Officials report that initial plans were altered due to fears of damaging the surrounding structure if the pile were removed too quickly or altered too aggressively. The authorities then shifted to a strategy that involves placing a 1.5-meter-diameter steel column around the pile to stabilize the area and create a controlled path for access to the trapped child.
According to the latest updates, the objective is to carefully remove surrounding soil and debris while minimizing the risk of further collapse. Once access is achieved, engineers will assess the child’s position and coordinate the gradual cutting of the column to facilitate a safe lift from the bottom of the shaft with specialized cranes and equipment designed to reduce friction and ease movement.
Despite the tremendous effort, rescuers acknowledge that the operation remains highly challenging. The situation is unusual, and environmental conditions at the site complicate the recovery. The plan calls for a staged sequence: clear the immediate vicinity, lift the concrete element with precision, and then proceed with the final extraction steps once the child’s location is confirmed by the engineers on site.
With the incident having occurred earlier in the day, a large contingent of rescuers, including police and fire crews, has been on the scene since the initial response. Oxygen was supplied to the opening to ensure the child could keep breathing, and water was provided to support hydration during the long process. No detailed health update has been released publicly, but authorities have indicated that communication with the child was temporarily interrupted during the operation.
As the rescue continues, teams remain focused on maintaining stabilization around the shaft and executing the delicate sequence required to retrieve the boy without compromising the confinement around him. The operation underscores the careful balance between swift action and structural safety in rescue missions of this kind, where every move must be calculated to protect the life of the trapped individual while preserving the integrity of the surrounding construction work.