Unsung heroes: Cleanliness workers sent for sweeping were saving lives; ambulance drivers fought TVK men to help those gasping

TIRUCHY: Amidst all the debate surrounding the Karur tragedy, there are a few unsung heroes who helped in the rescue and relief efforts, preventing any increase in the death toll.

All credit should go to health workers and the ambulance crew who worked hard to rescue the people and save lives.

As soon as the tragedy struck, the Karur Corporation had deputed around 150 health workers to the spot and another group to the Government Medical College Hospital to assist the workers. They were initially asked to clear the garbage accumulated along the roads of Velusamy Puram and asked to support the ambulance crew.

“We initially assumed it was some usual cleanliness work done after any such political event. When we went there, it was something different. We could see people were dying. Along with the ambulance crew, we moved the people to the hospital,” said a cleanliness worker, who was on duty on September 27. He said that they had worked continuously for the entire night, and a female staff member even fainted due to exhaustion from the hard work. But she came to duty soon after recovering and engaged in the cleaning works in the GH, such was the dedication, he added.

Meanwhile, despite the TVK members assaulting a private ambulance driver, Easwaramoorthy, more than 23 ambulances, along with the government-run 108 ambulances, were pressed into transporting the deceased as well as the injured. They saved numerous lives despite attacks and intimidation. “I rescued four persons who were struggling for life at Velusamy Puram and rushed them to the GH. Fortunately, all four are saved as on-time treatment was given, and they are discharged after treatment,” said a private ambulance driver, Sasi.

Another driver, Prakash, said that he had rescued three persons and rushed them to the Amaravathi hospital near the spot, and they were also saved.

It was indeed the TVK cadre who were stopping them from saving people. The ambulance drivers were attacked by aggressive TVK cadre, who claimed that the movement of emergency vehicles was meant to disturb Vijay’s event. They did the acts without knowing the real situation, driver Sasi said and added that the death toll could have been more if the ambulances were delayed.