Rescue efforts: Body removed from debris in Bara River

Irrigation department continues to face the heat after alleged inaction, neglect.

PESHAWAR:

Rescue 1122 divers on Friday were able to fish out the body of one of the men who fell into Bara River after a bridge collapsed a day earlier.

Locals say two others were still missing but Rescue 1122 Spokesperson Bilal Faizi told The Express Tribune they had been contacted by the relatives of only one more person.

No hope of survival

“Unfortunately there is no chance that anyone who fell in the river at the time is alive as in all likelihood the victims were crushed under all that rubble,” he said. “The rescue operation is complex as we cannot use heavy machinery and everything has to be done manually.”

The body found by the divers was of tractor driver Habib Khan who was a resident of Dir Colony. His remains were lodged in one of the pipes and were removed at around 11am. After calling it a day at 7:30pm on Thursday, the rescue operation was resumed by locals and the army on Friday at 6am.

Talking to The Express Tribune, a local blamed the irrigation department for the incident, saying the bridge was under their control and they should have been mindful of maintenance work. He added someone or the other drowns in the same place every year during the floods and despite their repeated demands, no one paid heed to the problem.

All fingers remained pointed at the department’s officials. However, irrigation department officials refused to comment as they were already facing public rage over their alleged inaction and failure to stop or divert the flow of water to facilitate the rescue operation.

Another local, Suleman Khan, believed the irrigation officials tried to con them into thinking the water could not be diverted or stopped. He added there was a dam in Khyber Agency from where Bara River’s levels can be controlled.

When approached for comments, Peshawar Assistant Commissioner Mumtaz Ahmed said their first priority at the moment is to complete the rescue operation as soon as possible. “Once the operation is completed, we will start an enquiry into the incident to see who is responsible,” said the AC. “However, presently we are focusing on taking people out of the debris.”

The AC said Peshawar Deputy Commissioner Riaz Mehsud visited the area in the morning and stayed on the site to supervise the operation.
The operation on the second day ended at 7pm and will resume today in the morning.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 23^rd, 2015.