Thiruvananthapuram: The body of a migrant worker Maharajan, who was trapped in a 90-foot-deep well at Vizhinjam was taken out this morning. Rescuers finally located Maharajan’s body after around 50 hours of search and rescue operation. The rescue operation was carried out by the National Disaster Response Force(NDRF), Fire Force, Special Task Force and workers with expertise in well construction.
According to police the accident happened on Saturday while Maharajan(50), a native of Parvathipuram, Tamil Nadu, was attempting to erect rings inside a well at Mukkola close to Vizhinjam. The loose soil caved in on him and he got trapped inside the well. The incident took place around 9.30 am on Saturday, following which a rescue operation was carried out. Mudslides and rainfall spilling into the well complicated the operation despite the repeated attempts by the authorities to save the victim. Senior officials including the deputy collector had arrived at the scene of the incident to supervise the operation.
By around 5 am on Sunday, the rescue personnel had dug up mud to a height of 15 feet from inside the well, in an effort to locate Maharajan. Water then began to seep into the well, and it took five hours to pump it out. The rescue team had to evacuate the well after another mudslide occurred, even though a metal ring had been lowered into it to stop torrents and mudslides. The well had also been inspected from the inside by a task force of the fire brigade and a professional trained in disaster management operations.
Despite the fact that they found Maharajan only a few feet away, they were unable to continue the mission due to the possibility of a landslip. By dusk, the rope that was attached to the pump at the bottom of the well had been located. The underground pump was removed using a chain pulley by hundreds of workers in the hopes of using the rope to bring Maharajan out. But it was ineffective. Following this, the NDRF team was summoned.
The accident happened at a 30-year-old well in Mukkola, Vizhinjam. Another worker, Manikantan, who had been positioned directly above Maharajan inside the well, managed to escape without suffering any serious injuries.
Comments