No oxygen mask and cylinders for fire personnel delayed rescue ops leading to demise of 5 persons

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaMarch 29, 2021

The much hyped mock drill in time of disaster has become a mockery for the people of West Jaintia Hills District as in time of need there was no coordinated rescue efforts resulting in the demise of five persons including a senior Forest Officer as due to the mere unavailability of oxygen mask and cylinders for rescue personnel.

The incident occurred at around 2.30 pm on Monday afternoon at a house under construction located in Lumpyrtuh, Mihmyntdu about three kilometers away from DC’s Office, Jowai.

A group of seven people namely Hamklet Suchiang who was the house owner and a Divisional Forest Officer took advantage of the holiday went to inspect his house under construction and also to issue necessary instructions to the workers. Hamklet and his two brothers Niwan Suchiang and Bunlad Suchiang and four others persons namely Phima Dkhar, Daniboy Iano, Phrang Khyriem and Deiwa Lyngdoh went down a RCC Water Well under construction with steps which was 35 feet below from the ground floor of the contructed building.

They found out that large quantity of water presence in the floor of the well and they used a water pump for draining out the water so that they can clean the well. However immediately after sometime, they started to experience difficulty in breathing due to the poisonous smoke produced from the water pump.

Deiwa Lyngdoh (18 years old) rushed out of the well with extreme difficulty gasping for air and called for help for the remaining persons in the well who were already affected by the smoke produced out of the water pump. On hearing his SOS call, some local people informed the Fire Service Personnel of the incident at around 2.30 pm and requested them to rush to the spot.

A team of fire service personnel on reaching the spot entered the well and was successful to rescue Phrang Khyriem (40 years and from Raliang) despite the fact that they themselves were gasping for air due to the smoke. Khyriem was rushed to a local hospital in a private vehicle as no 108 Ambulance was deemed necessary to be rush to the spot by the authority concerned.

After several minutes, the fire service personnel putting their lives on the line entered the well and rescued Bunlad Suchiang (34 years old and from Raliang) out of the well but due to the impact of the poisonous smoke and due to absence of any 108 Ambulance in the spot, Bunlad was again rushed to the spot in a private vehicle. He was declared brought death.

The fire service personnel who do not have any oxygen mask and cylinder realized that they will not be able to enter the well anymore as the poisonous smoke have engulfed the entire well and making the rescue mission impossible and they informed the Special Rescue Team (SRT) based in Fire Service Headquarter, Shillong.

The Jowai Police Personnel arrived in the scene after an hour or so after the incident and despite the fact four citizens were still stuck in the well no senior Government official from DC’s Office, Jowai came to the spot to coordinate the rescue operation.

The SRT arrived at around 4:30 pm and immediately started their efforts to rescue the remaining four persons still stuck in the well and with aid of the oxygen mask with cylinder & flashlight, the SRT team entered the well and managed to retrieve the four remaining persons but it was already too late as of all them were already death as they were suffocated and were drenched wet.

The mortal remain of Hamklet Suchiang (37 years and from Raliang), Niwan Suchiang (34 years and from Raliang), Daniboi Iano (27 years and from Raliang) and Phima Dkhar (24 years and from Raliang) were taken to the morgue house of Civil Hospital Jowai located in Ialong.