One sewerage worker dead, two rescued as earth caves in

Panaji, Feb 19 (UNI) One labourer, trapped in a deep sewerage trench after earth caved in, died in hospital while two others had a miraculous escape with timely action initiated by the firebrigade team in St Inez area of the city today.

The worker, who died, was the last to be pulled out of the debris after he was given an oxygen mask. Rescue team made a herculean effort using excavator as he was stuck neck deep in the mud.

The firemen removed the workers one by one from the trench and rushed them to a local hospital for medicare. Entire rescue operation took about an hour. Mayor Tony Rodrigues, state opposition BJP leader Manohar Parrikar and Taleigao legislator Babush Monserrate were among others who visited the scene as the news spread like wildfire.

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 about 1130hrs.

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

A UNI correspondent, who visited the spot, witnessed the rescue team holding the hands of the worker in neck deep position with his face cuffed with oxygen mask even as the escavator 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 by in the vicinity. The police cordoned off the area and blocked the road leading to the scene.

Emotions filled the anxious crowd of onlookers as the rescue workers, including the local police and the residents of the locality, witnessed the last worker being lifted from the trench after a protracted ordeal and shifted him to the nearby hospital.

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