India Teen Rescued Days after Building Collapse

Boy rescued from rubble of three-story blanket factory.

 


 

| Thursday, April 19, 2012


JALANDHAR, India (AP) — Rescuers pulled a 15-year-old boy from a massive heap of broken concrete Wednesday morning, more than 48 hours after the blanket factory he was working in collapsed and killed at least six people in northern India.

The boy, who told rescuers his name was Sandeep, was carried on a stretcher from the scene in Jalandhar, a town in Punjab state, and taken to a nearby hospital.

Workers continued searching for more people buried when the three-story factory buckled near midnight Sunday, while workers were inside. Estimates for how many may still be trapped have ranged from a dozen to more than 100.

Six bodies have been found and 60 people rescued, including three with serious injuries, District Magistrate Priyank Bharti said.

Many of the factory's workers were migrants from other Indian states, including Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal. Sandeep said he was from Bihar.

He said he passed out when the building collapsed, and did not know how long he was unconscious before waking and finding himself in a small cavern closed off by broken concrete slabs. The two friends he was with were missing, and he does not know what happened to them.

The sound of rescuers nearby gave him hope, Sandeep said, and he screamed until he heard them respond. It then took six hours starting Tuesday night for the rescuers to finally free him Wednesday morning.

Punjab's Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal promised $3,800 compensation to families of those killed, as well as a statewide audit of building safety and a separate investigation into why the factory was in a decrepit state.



Copyright 2013 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.


Connect: Have a thought or feedback about this? Add your comment now
Related Topics: News, international EMS, building collapse

 
What's Your Take? Comment Now ...

Featured Careers & Jobs in EMS

 

Get JEMS in Your Inbox

 

Fire EMS Blogs


Blogger Browser

 

EMS Airway Clinic

Innovation & Progress

Follow in the footsteps of these inspirational leaders of EMS.
More >

Multimedia Thumb

Semi Falls Off Portland Overpass

Rig struck a car, plummeted below and hit a building.
Watch It >


Multimedia Thumb

Car Strikes Eight People in New York

Car goes out of control in Manhattan.
Watch It >


Multimedia Thumb

Worker Rescued from Queens Trench

Man was pinned in waist-deep mud for over three hours.
Watch It >


Multimedia Thumb

Russian Ammo Fire Injures About 30

Fire at ammunition dump in Russia injures about 30 people.
Watch It >


Multimedia Thumb

Moscow Subway Fire Injures Dozens

A rush-hour fire in Moscow's subway on Wednesday injured dozens of people, forced the evacuation of thousands of commuters and closed parts of the network, authorities said.
More >


Multimedia Thumb

Philadelphia Building Collapse

As many as eight to 12 people trapped or injured.
More >


Multimedia Thumb

Hands On June 2013

Check out the latest products and innovations in JEMS.
More >


Multimedia Thumb

LMA MAD Nasal™

Needle-free intranasal drug delivery.
Watch It >


Multimedia Thumb

VividTrac offered by Vivid Medical - EMS Today 2013

VividTrac, affordable high performance video intubation device.
Watch It >


Multimedia Thumb

The AmbuBus®, Bus Stretcher Conversion Kit - EMS Today 2013

AmbuBus®, Bus Stretcher all-hazards preparedness & response tool
Watch It >


More Product Videos >