Quarry mishap: Last victim’s body retrieved after 8 days’ struggle

MADURAI: The search and rescue mission being organised in the stone quarry in Tirunelveli by the NDRF personnel along with the help of Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services personnel, has entered the 8th day. The rescue personnel have put their heart and soul into the efforts to recover the body of the last victim on Sunday.

The fateful accident, which occurred in the quarry at Adaimithippankulam in Palayamkottai taluk of Tirunelveli district on May 14, left six men trapped. Except for two, who survived the rockslide, four others were fatally trapped under debris since the incident.

While the rescue personnel managed to trace and retrieve three bodies of the victims from the rubble, the operation continued to retrieve the last victim Rajendran (42) in the quarry. The victim was a truck driver, sources said.

Thoothukudi District Fire Officer S Kumar, said the rescue personnel achieved a breakthrough in the search operation after having traced the body of the last victim Rajendran.

It was found inside a truck cabin that was crushed. The personnel have been using gas welding equipment to break the truck cabin to recover the body in a safe manner.

The personnel were in possession of a hydraulic ram, hydraulic jack, airlifting bag and other advanced equipment to use in the rescue mission. But, with these equipment in place, rocks or boulders weighing the maximum of 20 tonnes could only be lifted. Hence, controlled explosive strategies were adopted by the personnel to blast heavy rocks ranging from 40 to hundred tonnes, Kumar said.