10 days after building collapse, official toll is 31 dead, 16 injured
TEAM HERALD
CANACONA: The State administration finally called off recovery operations at the building collapse site at Chaudi-Canacona on Tuesday evening and finally declared the official number of dead as 31 and 16 injured.
Addressing a news conference after conducting a joint inspection with media persons at the site on Tuesday evening, South Goa Disaster Management Authority Chairman and Collector (acting) South Venancio Furtado informed that 31 bodies have been recovered from the debris, while 16 injured persons have been shifted and treated at GMC Bambolim, Hospicio Margao and Community Health Centre Canacona.
Furtado along with NDRF Commander-in-Chief Alok Kumar, Director of Fire Services Ashok Menon, Canacona Mamlatdar Ravishekar Nippanikar and PI Harischandra Madkaikar took media persons inside the site of the collapsed building and displayed the operations undertaken up to the basement level.
“The rescue, search and recovery operation, which were launched through various agencies including army, NDRF, fire services, PWD workers and others, commenced within hours of the disaster on January 4, has been called-off at 3.45 pm on Tuesday,” announced Furtado.
Admitting that there had been some confusion in the number of casualties, Furtado added: “There was initially a wrong tally of bodies and a person in coma at the GMC is somehow included as dead,” clarified Furtado.
He announced that 31 were dead while 16 people were injured, but did not specify the details of labourers reported dead.
“During the last 10 days of operation, search and recovery operations were carried out, even though there was no cooperation from contractors, supervisors, builders or anyone responsible for the disaster,” he stated.
“With the contractor, supervisor and builders not coming forward, we had to seek the assistance of co-workers and others who were believed to be around the location when the incident occurred. Accordingly, we went ahead and tried to trace any survivors, but unfortunately only stumbled upon bodies,” he said.
Furtado praised the team from Pune. He, however, evaded questions on the total expenditure towards the search, rescue and recovery operation. “My job is to undertake search and rescue operation irrespective of the expenditures. A disaster is a disaster, but this disaster is a man-made disaster and every disaster has its own expenses, depending upon its volume,” said Furtado.
When pressed further, he stated that it was for the government to decide whether the expenses should be recovered or not from those concerned.
Incidentally, two trained dogs specially brought in by the NDRF for search and rescue operation were also taken along when the Collector took the media persons to the site.
