Law Kumar Mishra
Patna, April 12
The 44 hours long operation to rescue the tourists stranded mid-air on ropeway cable cars on Trikuta hills in Deoghar district, 20 kms from the temple town Baidyanath Dham in Jharkhand, concluded on Tuesday noon with 47 people rescued.
Four people died in the incident.
The joint operation by the Indian Air Force, ITBP and NDRF airlifted all but one and rushed them to Deoghar Sadar hospital. One woman tourist who suffered serious injuries while being rescued fell from the trolley and was rushed to the hospital.
Meanwhile, chief justice of Ranchi High Court, Ravi Ranjan took suo Motu cognizance of the incident and ordered investigation. The court directed the government to submit a report by April 26.
There are many slip twists between the cup and the lip. This proverb was proved true when a 40 years old tourist who was being airlifted lost grip over the helicopter in mid-air and slipped to 840 meters down on the ditch. His safety belt was found broken and died after fall. A woman who was hospitalised yesterday also succumbed to her injuries today.
Over 50 tourists were trapped in 24 cabins on a rope way since Sunday evening at Trikuta hills due to mid-air collisions of cabins as ropeway breached. Till Monday evening, 30 were rescued while 18 were evacuated today.
The Indian Army, IAF, NDRF and ITBP engaged in operation winching suspended the rescue operation after sunset and assured to resume early Tuesday morning.
Eye witnesses said the tourist was lifted from the cable cabin and brought to the helicopter. He was seen catching the entrance of the helicopter for over a minute, but suddenly his safety belt was broken and he fell down on the depth. Two women had died on Sunday.
Over 30 tourists spent the entire night without water or goods for more than 24 hours. NDRF supplied them water bottles and biscuits on Tuesday noon.
Those rescued were shifted to Deoghar Sadar hospital, where Dr Sanjay Kumar, said the rescued tourists were facing dehydration and down with trauma symptoms.
Vinay Kumar Sharma, one of the survivors from Darbhanga in Bihar said it was a rebirth for him. Dolly Kumari, a ten years old tourist who was rescued with ropes by NDRF said she and her parents were without water throughout the night.
Wakil Kumar Mahto, another tourist getting treatment in the hospital recalled the night of horror and said high velocity winds on the hills led to more panic.
