Three trapped drainage workers rescued

Panaji, Feb 19 (UNI) Three drainage workers, who were trapped in a deep sewerage trench after earth caved in, had a miraculous escape with the timely action of the fire brigade team at St Inez area here today.

The entire rescue operation took about an hour. It became a herculean task for the fire brigade personnel to remove the last worker, who was stuck neck deep. He was safely lifted after he was given an oxygen face mask and the loose soil was removed with the help of an excavator.

The trio were rushed to a local hospital for treatment. City major Tony Rodrigues, state BJP opposition leader Manohar Parrikar and Taleigao legislator Babush Monserrate visited the scene as the news spread.

The workers were digging the earth for laying a roadside sewerage pipeline of a treatment plant under a new plan when the mishap occurred at around 1130 hrs.

All the workers escaped after noticing the earth giving in like a wave, however, three of them failed to come out of the trench. While two were stuck up waist-deep, the third worker got entrenched up to his neck.

A UNI correspondent who visited the scene, witnessed the rescue team holding the hands of the worker in the neck-deep position with his face cuffed with oxygen mask even as the excavator started removing the earth from the trench carefully.

Two fire engines with the staff took positions with stretchers, oxygen masks and cylinders while an ambulance with emergency equipment stood in the vicinity. The police cordoned off the area and blocked the road leading to the scene.

Emotion filled the anxious crowd of onlookers, the rescue workers including the local police and the residents of the area, as the last worker was lifted from the trap after a protracted ordeal.

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