‘I kept shouting, thought I’d die: Pune building collapse survivor recalls ordeal
A three-storey building on the premises of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s garbage depot in Moshi collapsed after heavy rain on Wednesday.
The three-storey building on the premises of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s garbage depot in Moshi collapsed following heavy rain on Wednesday. Bhushan Patil, one of those rescued from the building that collapsed on the premises of the Pimpri-Chinchwad Municipal Corporation’s (PCMC) garbage depot in Moshi on Wednesday afternoon, recalled thinking he would die soon because no help was forthcoming after the tragedy.
”I kept shouting for help, but no help was forthcoming… I lost the energy to seek help… Then I thought I would die,” he was quoted as saying by a relative.
Bhushan, 25, was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) of MediCover Hospital in Indrayani Nagar only six hours after the three-storey building collapsed following heavy rain.
One Bhavesh Mohan Vani, 33, who worked in the building, died in the incident.
Bhushan, who lives in Kanhe Phata with his parents, had joined the private firm operating the garbage depot just four days ago as an accountant, according to his relative Vishal Patil. “He has undergone a surgery on one of his legs. The doctors have told us that his condition is stable, but he needs constant monitoring,” Vishal told The Indian Express.
Vishal said when he met Bhushan at the hospital on Wednesday, he looked fine except for a pain in his leg, which had suffered bleeding. ”Bhushan said he was on the first floor of the building when, around lunchtime, he suddenly felt the wall of the building falling on him. The beam then came apart and his leg was caught under it. He fell to the ground. He told me that he kept crying for help. He heard people talking outside the building, but no one could hear his voice. Then he said he was resigned to his fate. He thought he would die soon,” he recounted his conversation with Bhushan.
Another victim, Mahesh Raut, is also admitted to the same hospital. He suffered a injury to his head and another to one of his legs. He has undergone surgery, and his condition is stated to be stable.
Nisha Raut, wife of Mahesh Raut, said, ”My husband has been working with the private firm at the Moshi garbage depot for the last three years. He is an IT engineer. Yesterday, the accident happened around 1.30 in the afternoon. Just half an hour before, at 1 pm, he phoned me and we spoke for some time. It was a general conversation. He enquired about our baby.”
While two other victims have been admitted to the Sainath Hospital’s ICU and their condition is stable, two others have left the PCMC-run YCM Hospital and Medical College, where they were admitted after the incident.
”Neither patient needed ICU treatment. They did not suffer any major injury. Both were discharged this morning,” Dean Dr Rajendra Wable told The Indian Express.
Relatives of 8 employees await answers
Meanwhile, outside the Moshi garbage depot, relatives of the eight employees trapped under the building’s debris gathered in large numbers.
Among them were the relatives of Waman Kasbe, who worked as a watchman at the building. ”We all have been waiting here since yesterday. We are not getting any update. The PCMC is not informing us where Waman Kasbe is,” said one of them.
PCMC Special Officer Kiran Gaiwkad said the relatives would be informed of the progress of the rescue operations from time to time. “The fire brigade and the NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) are continuously making efforts to rescue the remaining eight persons trapped under the debris,” he said.
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