Guna Well Mishap Snag In Breathing Apparatus Prevented Rescue: Probe Report

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): A 12-member State Disaster Relief Force (SDRF) team which had gone to rescue five people trapped in a well in Dharnawada village of Guna district, was unable to descend into the well as its breathing apparatus (BA) had low pressure.

This fact surfaced in the preliminary investigation of the department into the deaths of five people who descended the well to rescue a calf which had fallen into the well accidently on June 17.

Sources claimed that a few days back, a mock drill was conducted in Guna, in which the BA and other equipment was used.

“The cylinders were kept for refilling, but this mishap was reported on the Disaster Warning and Response System portal, and in response the rescue team took the cylinders in a hurry. When the personnel checked them at the disaster site, they found them with low pressure”, said DIG SDRF, Manish Agarwal.

He also added that three bodies were taken out by the National Fertilisers Limited (NFL) team and two bodies were taken out by the SDRF team. He added that if the SDRF team had taken the risk to step down, it would also have perished.

He also said that on the day, a good train was standing at the crossing, which led to delay in reaching the village. The SDRF had a minute to minute monitoring system and there was no excuse to shield guilty personnel, he said.

As per reports, in every district two vehicles are in ready-to-go position, equipped with all necessary things like oxygen cylinders, stretchers, high beam lights, motorboats and ladders.