‘Make way... make way... make way’, this was constant refrain of policemen and fire service personnel everytime a body was recovered from the vehicle that drowned in Undabatti Kere.
Even though the shout of police personnel was ear piercing, it had little impact on the surging crowd that wanted to catch a glimpse of the rescue operations that went on for nearly five hours.
With traffic diverted at the ring road - Nanjangud Road junction, the traffic coming from Nanjangud resulted in a traffic jam and people alighting from their vehicles and climbing the lorries and KSRTC buses that had come to a halt near the accident zone.
With the crowds milling around the place, the policemen had a tough time taking a retrieved body from the lake to the waiting ambulance. Further, causing an hindrance to the rescue workers was the people who climbed up on the cranes and fire force trucks.
While rescue operations where in full force, people who had lost their relatives in the tragic incident let out screams and cries whenever the personnel fished out a body.
Around 17 persons following vehicle that killed 27 persons, were on board another goods auto, and the tragedy occurred right in front of their eyes.
Rescue workers
A rescue worker from Bandipalya, Ashoka working as daily wage labourer at a nearby paddy field, rushed to the spot as he saw the ambulances rushing towards the spot.
Having been in water for more than two hours retrieving the bodies from the lake, he said that the among the many people he saw while searching for the body was South Station’s Circle Police Inspector Gopalkrishna. He said that he finally helped retrieve 12 bodies. Another rescuer Ravi working as cable operator in Kadakola, rushed to the spot to retrieve the bodies. Shivering Ravi said that he pulled out around four bodies from the lake.
The villagers from the surrounding areas staged a demonstration condemning the administration against the bad condition of the roads. The villagers held loud protests taking the Deputy Commissioner and Police Commissioner to task demanding immediate action against the officials responsible for the pathetic condition of the roads. Later, Regional Commissioner M V Jayanti pacified the crowd and promised them that suitable measures will be taken.
On toes
Soon after the bodies were shifted to the mortuaries , the city police used the public address system of tiger (vehicle used to lift vehicles parked in prohibited zones) to announce the names of the victims officially to facilitate their near and dear ones. Apart from ambulances, Police Control Room (PCR) vehicles, goods vans belonging to City Armed Reserve (CAR) police doubled up as ‘ambulances’ shifting the bodies from K R Hospital emergency to the mortuaries. Home guards helped the nurses in wheeling the bodies and the injured persons. Initially the cops at the hospital were jotting down the colour of dresses worn by the deceased as identity, besides sticking a copy of the notes on the body.
Lakshmi, wife of Mahadeva
Prema wife of Shivashankar (Bride Pooja’s mother)
Geetha wife of Bhairavegowda
Brinda wife of Ramesh
Bhuvana (11 months)
Prashanth (4) son of Mahadev
Rani
Vinoda
Sumathi
Bharathi
Shanthamma, wife of Kumar
Lakshmidevamma, wife of Venkategowda
Nisha (14)
Sannathayamma, wife of Swamy Gowda
Sarojamma, wife of Nanjegowda
(Autopsy of the above 15 bodies done at the mortuary attached to JSS Medical College in Bannimantap)
Papamma
Mahadevamma
Veena
Jayamma
Premamma
Lakshmamma
Sannadevamma
Manasa (14)
Thayakka
Savitha
Another Lakshmidevamma
Bhagyamma
(Autopsy of 12 above bodies at the mortuary attached to K R Hospital)