Trapped Under Debris For 2 Hours, Migrant Worker Rescued After Mudslide

A migrant worker who was almost completely buried under the debris for over two hours in Kottayam, following a sudden mudslide was rescued by Fire force personnel on Thursday using a backhoe loader to dig him out while also providing him oxygen through a tube during the operation.

The incident occurred in Mariyappally village area of Kottayam district on Thursday morning during the construction of a basement of a house there, a Fire rescue official said.

While digging a wide hole as part of the construction work, there was a sudden mudslide and three of the four workers managed to run to safety while one got buried under the wet mud.

Rainfall in the area recently had made the mud wet and loose, the official said.

Immediately, locals jumped in and managed to free his head from the mud and as the Fire rescue personnel -- who too reached the spot -- were attempting to free him completely, there was another mudslide which trapped him again, the official said.

In a nearly three-hour long rescue operation, the fire force personnel created a makeshift platform over his head to protect him from further mudslides, provided him oxygen via a tube, gave him glucose for energy, kept a check on his vitals and using digging equipment and a backhoe loader, slowly removed the mud around him and pulled him out, the official said.

After that he was examined at the site by a doctor and then rushed to the nearby general hospital, the official said and added that there appeared to be some internal injury to the worker's right leg that was trapped under the mud for a long time.

The doctor, who examined the worker at the site, told TV channels that the worker's vitals were stable and there were no serious injuries visible on his body according to the preliminary examination.

She also said the worker complained of pain in one of his legs and as he was trapped under the mud for hours, he has mental trauma related to that.

"He will have to be thoroughly examined," the doctor said. 

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