The heavy downpour that has been lashing the state, stalled rescue operations on Friday
Pune: The heavy downpour that has been lashing the state, stalled rescue operations on Friday. The strong current and swollen river has forced officials to head for shore, as the water level has risen by 10 feet.
Officials were forced to call off the rescue operation after the water level rose by 10 feet yesterday. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar
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Even helicopters could not be pushed into the rescue operation on Friday. RK Singh, Commandant, Coastal Guard said, “The visibility in general is not conducive for flying and hence the choppers didn’t take off.”
Singh said that six divers were pressed into action, but, were unable to make any headway and were called back. “We had divers go in at two spots but the strong current and muddy water made it hard for the divers to sustain it for long.”
The searchers had widened their scope up till 10 km from the spot, up until Ambet Bridge, and further near the Ratnagiri creek and Bankot boundaries.
A rescue officer added that the bodies had started to decompose and emit a stench. The water makes the bodies swell and the skin is severely damaged. Rescuers were able to fish out one body by following the stench it was emitting near the boundaries.
Sanjay Patil, Additional Superintendent of Police, Raigad, said, “Rescue operations could not last for more than an hour. The current was strong and the NDRF team had no option but to wait for the rain to stop.”
Fishermen chip in
A team of around 30 fishermen from Malvan and Alibaug have arrived to help in the rescue operation. However, authorities have not allowed them to join the rescue operation on Friday.
Ravi Toraskar, a representative of Sharmik Machhimar Sangh, along with 25 fishermen from Malvan arrived on Thursday morning. “We are expert divers and helped out in the operation on Thursday. We roped in six more people from Alibaug who are from the Malari Martan Machimar society and are experts in finding fish deep inside the water,” added Toraskar.
However, authorities did not allow the fishermen to venture into the water on Friday.
A disappointed Toraskar said, “We came with all our fishing equipment, nets and even GPS to help in the rescue operation. We can’t sit and wait for the rain to stop. Hopefully, by Sunday, we will launch our own rescue mission.”
The eight bodies that were found on Friday were recovered mostly near Ambet bridge and Kimburli.
Dr BV Jagtap, Medical Superintendent, Mahad civil hospital confirmed that 22 bodies had been traced so far.
“The bodies were highly decomposed and difficult to identify. We have called in the families to help us identify the bodies based on their identification marks, clothes, etc. One body is yet to be identified,” said Jagtap.
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