Chennai building collapse: Odisha labourer rescued from debris after 72 hours

Odisha Sun Times Bureau
Chennai, July 3:

Rescue workers pulled out a labourer from Odisha from the debris of a multi-storeyed under-construction building at Molibhakam a full 72 hours after it collapsed on Saturday.

According to reports, a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), while conducting the rescue operations at about 9 AM, got the hint of a labourer inside the debris when a sniffer dog, pressed in the service, suddenly started barking while peeping into a hole.

Sensing the presence of a labourer, the rescue team cut slabs and put a camera inside the hole to locate him. After a two-and-half hour effort, the team heard the faint voice from within the debris at about 11.30 AM.

The team, while talking to the trapped labourer, later called on a doctor, present at the site, who supplied him with glucose water in a bottle through a pipe inside the hole of the debris two hours later.

The thoroughly dehydrated labourer, after consuming two bottles of glucose water, requested for another bottle.

The rescue team, after an hour-long effort, finally came in contact with him after they touched his hands from the debris at 3.30 PM.

After coming to know about the exact location of the labourer, the team finally brought him out of the debris at about 5.15 PM.

The rescued labourer was identified as Prakash Rout (29) of Rajnagar area of Kendrapara district.

There was no sign of any panic on the face of Rout, who surprised one and all present there by asking them about his missing slippers to which the NDRF commandant MK Verma told him he would be provided a new pair of slippers.

A gentleman, present there handed a bottle of water to Rout, who, after drinking some of these, washed off his face and coolly walked out of the place.