Alert SP saves family from house in nick of time
By M Manikandan | Express News Service | Published: 07th November 2017 03:54 AM |
Last Updated: 07th November 2017 12:25 PM | A+A A- |
The remains of the house from which the family was rescued seconds before the collapse at Vandal in Thalainayar | Express
NAGAPATTINAM:It was a lucky escape for 60-year-old K Raja (60) and his family as they were rescued in the nick of time by the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) on Saturday.
On Saturday, the SDRF team, led by Superintendent of Police Shekar Deshmukh, was deployed evacuate residents of Vandal in Thalainayar following severe inundation. When the team reached the village, not many were aware of the level of flooding, and refused to leave their homes.
Seeing a rundown house, Deshmukh asked occupants, Raja , his wife and son, to leave but the family refused. The SP managed to convince them that leaving the house was for their safety and as the family finally came out, in a matter of seconds, the entire structure collapsed.
Speaking to Express, Deshmukh said, “In order to conduct flood rescue operations in the district, we formed eight disaster management teams trained by the NDRF and fire-fighters. As we know Thalainayar is a low-lying area, we deployed a team there before the northeast monsoon got underway. When we learned that water level was on the rise in the village, we asked locals to evacuate. As there was no road connectivity, we arranged for a community hall and temple as temporary shelters. Though a handful agreed to come out of their houses, a few refused to leave. Locals, unaware of the level of flooding, wanted to stay put so we had to convince them through dialogue.”
Deshmukh said, “When I visited Mela Street in Vandal, I saw many cracks on the walls of a mud house. I thought the house could easily cave in. When we approached Raja, the head of the family, he refused to come out and said there was no danger and they had survived many floods. On hearing this, I asked the family to step out so we could talk some 150 metres away from the house. Immediately after, the house collapsed.”
Raja’s wife Poongodi said, “We have got a second life and are thankful to the SP and his team for saving us. When the SP and his team asked us to come out, we were sure our house, which was built 12 years ago, could never collapse.“Had the SP ignored the danger signs, we would have lost out lives. We request people to always cooperate with rescue teams,” she said.
