Joburg Emergency Services have opted to use robots with cameras to get a 360° view of the manhole that six-year-old Khayalethu Magadla from Soweto fell into with the hope of locating him.

The search for Khayalethu's body has been ongoing for the past five days and has not been found so far.

Joburg Emergency Management Services spokesperson Robert Mulaudzi said they will be using a robot where the boy fell in to give them a 360° view of the whole pipeline running through the manhole. 

@CityofJoburgEMS One of our Rescue Technician going down into the line along Fushia Road in Klipspruit West as we continue to search for the 6 year old boy Khayalethu Magadla who slipped and fell into a mainhole on Sunday afternoon. @CityofJoburgZA @CoJPublicSafety pic.twitter.com/CqtYfYbgis

"This robot will have an underwater camera and there will be another camera on the surface.

"If we detect anything along the pipeline, we will be able to send technicians to retrieve the young boy," Mulaudzi said. 

He said this was done to allow emergency services to simultaneously carry on searching while the robot is on the move along the pipeline.

pic.twitter.com/BlRI3Zjwh4

Mulaudzi remains positive about the search and said they will continue until the young boy is found.

Khayalethu slipped and fell into a manhole while playing with friends at a park in Dlamini, Soweto on Sunday.

However, his friends all fled home and didn't tell anyone what had happened. Details of what had happened only came to light the following day, almost 24 hours since Khayalethu fell into the manhole and that was when emergency services started to search for him.

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Earlier, his aunt Khanyisile Tshabalala told News24 the wait has become a daunting experience for the family.

She said: "In fact, we are all hurting. We feel as if we are not getting anything that is solid that gives us hope that he will be found. We are just waiting and somehow accepted that he is no longer with us; the only thing we want now is his body."

The search still continues. 

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