Rescue team saves buried alive labourer
Bodies of two others retrieved
HERALD CORRESPONDENT
CANACONA, JUNE 6
With the authorities and rescue team not leaving any stone unturned, one of the three labourers buried at the Agonda under-construction well site was pulled out alive in the wee hours of Sunday, while the bodies of two other labourers were retrieved at 5 a.m.
In an overnight rescue operation that lasted over 12 hours since Saturday evening, authorities including National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team withdrew from the site only after 6 am on Sunday.
Residents and relatives, who had gathered in large numbers after the unsavoury incident that took place on Saturday at about 5 pm, finally heaved a sigh of relief only at about 1.35 am, when the NDRF team successfully brought alive Narayan Pagui (38) from the imminent jaws of death.
It was one of the longest operations ever taken up by the NDRF team, who commenced their salvage operations at about 7 pm on Saturday at the under construction well, which collapsed at Val ward in Agonda.
Several tactics were used by the rescue team under the watchful and guiding eyes of South Goa Disaster Management In-charge Ashutosh Apte, Canacona Deputy Collector Deepak Dessai, Deputy Superintendent of Police Gurudas Mhapne, Canacona Police
Inspector Raju Raut Dessai and Canacona Mamlatdar C B Shetkar among others, who were present at the site till 5.30 a.m. when the operations finally ended.
The rescue operation which was becoming harder and harder, finally bore fruits, when Pagui, assisted by his own efforts, was pulled out from around 8 feet deep collapsed well almost sound and healthy despite long hours under the landslide consisting of mud and sand.
Pagui was rushed to Canacona Community Health Centre, but was soon declared safe. He returned back to his home later in the morning to the happiness of his family and only son.
Incidentally, Pagui, who otherwise works on a fishing trawler for six months during fishing season and does the odd jobs during rest of the year to run his household, blames his stars for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.
“I am happy to be reunited with my only son and wife and other family members after that long and terrifying ordeal, during which time I just prayed and hoped for the success of the rescue team and my villagers doing their bit to save all of us. However, I feel pained that two of our colleagues could not be saved,” said Pagui.
Two of his companions were not so lucky, as NDRF teams could succeed only in excavating their bodies, recovering one at 4.30 a.m. and another at 5 am.
The deceased were identified as Kamlakar Velip and Sukdo Velip. The bodies were sent for post mortem at Hospicio in Margao.
Later in the day, the bodies were handed over to relatives. The body of Kamlakar Velip, a resident of Ambdem-Khola, was cremated at 3.30 pm and that of Sukdo Velip at 6.30 pm on Sunday, informed sources.
Meanwhile, Canacona police informed that a criminal offence under Section 304 (a) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) has been registered against one Dominic Fernandes, who had allegedly hired the labourers to dig a house well.
