The dead
bodies of all four NEEPCO employees, who have been trapped inside the pump
house of Kopili Hydro Electric Power Project since October 7, 2019, were
retrieved with the help of rescued team and locals at Umrangso.
The last,
the fourth body of K Raju Reddy (23) was
recovered from G minus 2 (G-2) room of Kopili Hydro Electric Power Project on
23rd October (Wednesday), 16 days after four officials went missing since
October 7 in a rupture in two water pipelines of the power project at Umrangso
in Dima Hasao district.
With the recovery of the last body, the
rescuers of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response
Force (SDRF) suspended their operation in the project site with effect from
Wednesday. However, clearing of the debris in the underground building of the
project will continue for some days and high officials of the power company are
likely to arrive to assess the loss and damages of the project.
“The
rescue team will be withdrawn from the project site. However, the restoration
work will continue. Security personnel will be engaged to safeguard the vital
instantiation in the hydro electrical power project,” an official ofAssam State
Disaster ManagementAuthority (ASDMA) said.
The fourth
body of K Raju Reddy (23), an employee of PES Engineering was recovered from
the G-2 floor at 2.45 pm on Wednesday. The body was taken out and handed over
to Umrangso Police Station in the presence of NEEPCO officials.
Earlier,
on October 21, a joint team of NDRF and SDRF retrieved two bodies from G-2
floor near turbine. The rescuers searched G-2 floor by observing all safety
measures equipments during the operation.
On October
22, the third body of Prempal Balmiki (57), cleaning attendant of NEEPCO, was
recovered from the G-1 floor at 4.45 pm. Four persons, including three NEEPCO
employees and Prem Pal Balmiki, Robert Ngamlai Biate,Joy Sing Tisso and Raju
Reddy went missing after the rupture, which took place at around 4.30 am of
October 7.
The
rupture also stalled the 276 MW power project. Two bridges were washed away due
to high current of the flood water. More than hundreds of rescuers, including
state fire service personnel, workers of NEEPCO, Assam Rifles and Assam Police
Battalion were engaged in the two-week-long rescue operation.
0 Comments