Jharkhand HC directs state to file detailed investigation report on Deoghar ropeway mishap
CM assures high-level probe, salutes Army, NDRF and commandoes for rescue operation
Ranchi, April 12: Attempts to rescue passengers trapped in cable cars on a ropeway for over 44 hours in Jharkhand’s Deoghar district ended Tuesday afternoon with a tragedy as a 60-year-old woman fell to her death while she was being winched up by a helicopter, raising the death toll to three, officials said.
On Monday evening, a 38-year-old man from Dumka district had also fallen from the helicopter during the course of rescue operation while on Sunday evening, a woman had sustained injury during collision of the trolley with the stones and died during course of treatment at Deoghar Sadar Hospital.
Remaining 46 tourists, stranded since Sunday 4 pm, after a ropeway malfunction resulted in trolleys colliding at Trikut hills, were safely evacuated with the help of Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters since Monday.
Fourteen of the last remaining 15 tourists, who were trapped mid-air for more than 40 hours, were rescued on Tuesday.
“Of the remaining 15 people trapped in cable cars overnight, 14 were rescued while a woman fell off the chopper during the course of the operation,” Additional Director General of Police R K Mallick said.
Deoghar Civil Surgeon C K Shahi said the woman, identified as 60-year-old Shobha Devi, was declared dead on being taken to a hospital. It was unclear whether the harness wrapped around her or the rope which was being used to pull her snapped, resulting in her fall and eventual death.
Mallick said those rescued were sent to hospitals, where they will be examined. Three people have died so far, including two tourists who fell to their death as they were being hauled up into helicopters on Monday and Tuesday during botched rescue attempts, while 12 injured people are undergoing treatment at hospitals.
The rescue operation was conducted jointly by the IAF, Army, Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the district administration. Food and water were supplied to the stranded people using drones.
Chief Minister Hemant Soren assured he will order a high-level probe in the incident.
“I have directed all senior officials to find out the reasons behind the accident and who are accountable for this. A high-level probe will be conducted in the matter and action will be taken accordingly. The state government is keeping a close watch on the situation,” Soren said.
The chief minister also saluted the efforts undertaken by Indian Army, IAF, ITBP and NDRF for carrying out the rescue operation in difficult situation and had a special word of praise for a Garud commando who preferred to spend the night with two traumatised children in a cabin car on Monday till they were rescued on Tuesday morning.
The area which boasts of the famous Trikutachal Mahadeva Temple and the hermitage of Sage Dayananda, Trikut hills has several peaks, with the highest at 2,470 feet above the sea level.
The Trikut ropeway, according to the Jharkhand tourism department, is India’s highest vertical ropeway. It is around 766-metre long.
In a statement, the IAF said an Mi-17V5, one Mi-17, one Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) and one Cheetah helicopter flew more than 26 hours during the evacuation operation.
The rescue contingent included five Garud commandos of the IAF, who had the daunting task of climbing onto the stranded
trolleys, while being attached to the helicopter’s winch cable, accessing it from outside, strapping up each survivor individually and getting them winched up and into the helicopter hovering overhead, it said.
Smaller children were carried up to the helicopter by the Garud commandos themselves, it said.
The helicopter crew was faced with their own challenges where they had to maintain a steady hover, with practically no visual reference, in conditions of strong winds in the hilly terrain, the release mentioned.
The crew went from one trolley to the next to carry out their task, which was as risky for the crew as it was for the survivors of the mishap, the IAF said.
The operation, spread over two days, also saw two unfortunate incidents wherein, despite best efforts, the survivors could not be rescued safely due to the inherently difficult nature of the rescue operation, it added.
“The IAF deeply regrets the loss of lives of these two individuals and expresses its deepest condolences to their families. The IAF reaffirms its commitment to providing support, succour and relief to our citizens always and every time,” it said.
Jharkhand High Court on Tuesday took suo motu cognizance of the Deoghar cable-car mishap and ordered an inquiry into the matter.
The court will hear the matter on April 26. Before that, the state has to file a detailed inquiry report through an affidavit.
