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Journalism of Courage
Little did 46-year-old Chitralekha Anil Kumar and her 22 -year-old daughter Latika from Lullanagar know that a Sunday outing would turn out to be such a nightmare. The iron bridge over the Indrayani river near Kundamala, Pune, collapsed and several tourists who had gathered to watch monsoon rain were swept away.
Chitralekha Kumar has been admitted to the intensive care unit at the 203-bed multi-speciality Pawana hospital after she suffered a fracture of the tibia (shinbone) and humerus (upper arm bone) while daughter Latika has suffered minor abrasions on the knee and was treated at the OPD.
“The treatment will involve surgery , but the patient is stable,” Dr Madhuli Bagle, medical administrator at the hospital, told The Indian Express. There are two patients in the ICU , one in the ward and one treated at the OPD. Amol, 35, suffered a head injury and was admitted to the ward.
Twenty-eight year old Shamika Mane from Chinchwad has been admitted to the ICU and has suffered fractures in the ankle. “She will also require surgery,” Dr Bagle said, adding that she was also stable. Both her husband and son died in the accident.
Dipak Virkar, an 18-year-old from Dehugaon, had gone for his regular Sunday visit to Kundmala Devi temple when the accident happened.
“It was a routine for me to visit Kundmala Devi temple every Sunday,” Virkar recalled from his bed at the Mimer Hospital in Talegaon, after suffering an injury to his lower back.
Describing the moments before the collapse, he said, “The bridge was packed with two-wheelers with no space for pedestrians. I saw the bridge bending. The part, which collapsed had over 50 people.”
In a stroke of luck that saved his life, Virkar said, “I was very fortunate that I fell a foot away from the stream with over 10 people on me. Somehow I managed to escape.”
Earlier the 108 control room despatched seven ambulances to the spot and according to the authorities they reached within 20 minutes. The teams were able to treat 25 persons who were injured, according to Preeyank Jawale and Rohit Dhomse who coordinated the ambulance teams.
“Due to the narrow road, the ambulance staff started on-the-spot care for patients,” said doctors with Maharashtra Emergency Medical Services. Once the patients were brought to the triage area , they were taken to the nearest hospitals.
Dr Mashmoom Wagu with the 108 team said that she was at the site of the incident went in the boat with the NDRF team to provide treatment to the injured.
A local fisherman became an unlikely hero whose quick actions saved multiple lives. Ajay Pardhe was fishing near the bridge when he witnessed the collapse. “I saw the bridge bending and then it broke into two parts. We heard a huge noise,” Pardhe recounted, adding, “Then I dived into the river and saved at least 5 of them.”
Interacting with injured people in Mimer Hospital in Talegaon, Anna Bansode, Deputy Speaker of Maharashtra Legislative Assembly, said, “The injured are being treated at the general hospital in Talegaon and are given complete care. Compensation will be provided as per rules to the deceased and action will be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.”
