PAUL CARVALHO
CURCHOREM: Life returned to normal in Curchorem-Sanvordem after over 24 hours on Saturday after hectic search operation conducted by various wings of the government and private organizations. Three bodies were recovered from the stomach of the River Zuari at Sanvordem after the collapse of the footbridge on Thursday.
It may be recalled that on Thursday evening a 26-year-old youth Basayya, alias Santosh Sidharamayya Wandal resident of Aksashimodi, Kakoda jumped in the Zuari River to commit suicide. Passersby who saw him jumping called on 101 and informed the Control Room about the incident.
When Herald contacted the family of Wandal who committed suicide, his mother Indira informed that he was their elder unemployed son who was mentally ill after his brother’s death (second son) two years ago in an accident.
Indira now stays with her husband and only one surviving son. Indira said that in the morning of the fateful day her deceased son dressed up well and left the house in spite of her restrictions.
Fearing his mental conditions she informed the police and by afternoon the cops brought Wandal back and handed him over to his mother. While they were returning home he gave her the slip and ran away towards the bridge and committed suicide, his mother said.
She said as soon as she heard the news that her son had jumped in the river, she rushed to the spot. She said that she saw the footbridge collapsing as she was looking at the Fire Brigade personnel searching for her son.
The Curchorem Fire and Emergency Services personnel reached the site at 6.45 pm after receiving the call and began their searching operation with the help of inflatable boats. Out of curiosity, people had gathered on all the three bridges existing on River Zuari connecting Curchorem and Sanvordem towns.
Of the three bridges, the new bridge was constructed some 10 years back and it is the one which is used by vehicles at present because of its broad width. The second bridge, built during the Portuguese era, was very narrow, so a footbridge was constructed adjacent to it for pedestrians some 35 years back.
Around 50-60 people had gathered on the footbridge which couldn’t hold the weight and came crashing down the river taking along all those curious persons on it.
While some managed to save themselves by hanging on to its side barriers, a few managed to swim ashore and others were rescued by locals and fire personnel.
Later various bodies of the government like Police, Navy, Goa Coastal Police, NDRF joined the Fire services personnel in continuing the search operation and with the help of Drishti recovered three bodies.
