'I saw rescuers pull out my friend's body'

CHANDIGARH: Though rescue team reached the accident spot within 30 minutes, eyewitnesses did not to wait for help as they rushed to help the victims.
Varinder Uppal, a transporter who has a shop adjacent to the accident spot, was at his shop when he heard loud noise and saw people running.
He said, "I and my friend ran towards the collapsed building and we managed to pull out one person from the debris.However, he was already dead. Till the time a rescue team arrived, we continued to extract bodies from the site."
According to sources, around 12 laborers were working in the basement of a vacant booth next to the liquor vend when the accident took place. The roof of vend collapsed and fell on the laborers as well as the people in the liquor vend.
Nikku Ram, a tea vendor, said, "Faizan was my friend and I knew that he was habitual drinker and every morning he came to the same vend to drink. I rushed to the spot and saw rescuers pulling out the body of my friend."
The tavern was completely destroyed and workers in the basement and some people sitting in the tavern were trapped under the debris.
Over 50-60 people were involved in the rescue operation, including fire fighters, police and disaster management officials.
It was not an easy operation. Before dragging the concrete roof with the help of three cranes, the rescue team had to verify the fact that there was no one trapped under the debris.
The operation took four hours and during the rescue efforts, a temple built behind the booth was also completely damaged.
The deceased were residents of Bapu Dham colony and the liquor vend was set up in a rented accommodation since 2008.
IG RK Upadhyay said, "We had also called for Army's help and there team was kept on a stand by. However, the local team managed to complete the operation on its own."
Unruly crowd
The biggest problem faced by the police and the rescue team during the whole operation was managing the crowd. As thousands of people surrounded the accident site, cops had to make extra efforts to keep the crowd at bay so that the rescue operations were not slowed down.
Raising stink
Foul smell from broken liquor bottles also made rescue work difficult as the team worked without masks, helmets, gloves or any other safety gears.