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Bihar worker dies from blood contamination

Last Updated 17 February 2018, 12:31 IST

A 25-year-old man lay trapped in the debris of a collapsed building for 18 hours, thinking of his two children living in a remote village in Bihar.

Fire department personnel rescued Hazarath, a fair-skinned and well-built man, from the rubbles of the five-storied building that collapsed in Jayarama Reddy Layout in Kasuvanahalli on Sarjapur Road.

The victim succumbed to his injuries at the hospital, in what doctors described as lack of precautions while being taken for treatment. Hazarath belongs to Chabiya Budur village in Siwan district in Bihar. He was doing plastering work at the building that tumbled on Thursday evening.

Sources at Sakra Hospital said a concrete brick fell on Hazarath's hands, stopping the blood flow and turning it toxic in the 18 hours he spent trapped in the debris.

When he was pulled out of the wreckage at 8.30 am on Friday, the toxic blood spread around his body and caused his death about 9.20 am soon after he was taken to hospital, doctors who treated him told DH.

Divisional Fire Officer (West) T N Shivashankara, who supervised the rescue efforts throughout the night on Thursday, said the crew established contact with Hazarath at 2.30 am. "He was talking to us from under the debris," Shivashankara said.

"It took nearly six hours to rescue him."

"When we lifted him up at 8.30 am, he appeared fresh. The rescue team gave him water and he was then taken to hospital. We couldn't believe when we heard of his death 45 minutes later," he added.

Hospital sources said Hazarath could have been saved if rescuers had blocked the toxic blood by strapping the injured parts.

Painter Direndra Kumar from Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh spent 12 hours under the rubble with Hazarath. He told DH that he could not see Hazarath since it was dark inside and there was a pillar between them.  

Kumar crawled out soon after the debris was cleared at 3.41 am on Friday.

Kumar said the trapped construction worker was keeping him cheerful all the time. Hazarath spoke of his two children and how he came to Bengaluru to earn for their education. He even told Kumar that he had booked a train ticket to Bihar next month to visit his children.

Kumar recalled to DH his ordeal by saying he did not think of anything else, but to get out alive as he lay buried. The hours spent inside also made him realise the value of life. He video-called home and spoke to his two-year-old son Aryan and family members. Crawling out of the ruins was like conquering death, he said.

With Hazarath's death, the toll in the building mishap rose to four on Friday. Three had died and 12 injured on
Thursday.

Doctors recalled a similar death like that of Hazarath six months ago when a worker was trapped in the rubble of a collapsed paying guest
accommodation.

They urged rescue workers to pay closer attention to the injuries when pulling out people alive from ruins.

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(Published 17 February 2018, 04:56 IST)

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