09 February,2010 09:45 AM IST | | Debarati Palit
Pune Rural police have neither cranes nor special ambulances to cope with situations like accident on Monday
Survivors of a bus yesterday's accident at Dive ghat did not get help for an hour because the Pune rural police does not have a single crane or a disaster management ambulance. PI Ravidra Rasal, Lonikalbhor police station, said, "We have a crane at Baramati, which is not working. So we had to work out some other means to help
the victims."
Three dead
Traffic constable Bansode Dasirath Shivaji who witnessed the accident said, "The injured patients were sent to the hospital and the bodies were stuck under the bus. We had to wait for almost two-and-a-half hours to find a crane. I called a private crane service, which arrived late. Now, who is going to pay the bills of the private service," he asked.
Driver absconding
The driver of the bus Hiralal Saheblal Sheikh is absconding, as is his helper Avinash Babu Kamble. The police have registered a case of rash and negligent driving.u00a0
The city also does not have a disaster management ambulance for critical situations. Sanjeevan Joshi, additional controller, said that Pune would get five ambulances at the cost of Rs 10 to 15 lakh by April 2010.
"The ambulances will have basic medical aid, AED machinery to cope with heart attack cases, gas cylinder, ventilators, folding stretchers and a eight trained staff including a doctor, nurse and attendants," he added.
A private bus owned by Balaji Travels with 50 passengers on board met with au00a0 fatal accident at 2.30 am yesterday at Dive Ghats, 40 km from the city. Three have died so far, and many more are injured.
A police team led by Inspector Ravindra Rasal arranged for five ambulances and a crane to clear the dead and the injured. Twenty patients were admitted to Sasoon hospital, one to Mobile Hospital and four to Sahyadri Hospital.
Manisha Kolekar (18) was travelling with her father Sambhaji Kolekar. She does not know that the accident claimed his life. "The driver lost control because he and the helper were fighting over a petty issue. He was not even holding the steering, while speaking. When the bus steered off course, we saw them jump out of the window."
Tanaji Sawant, proprietor, Balaji Travels, said, "I have sent a few people to look for the driver and helper."
