Two-year-old Daniel Pascu was rescued from a 16 metre deep well in Romania on yesterday after a nearly 12-hour rescue operation by the emergency services.

He was playing with his siblings when they removed the cover of the well while their mother was briefly inside their house.

The child apparently fell into the well, which was only 30 cm wide and caused the rescue services severe problems.

Eventually, they dug down next to the well to remove the boy, who was given first aid in an ambulance before being taken to hospital.