Woman’s leg stuck in PVC pipe, multi-agency op rescues her

Pune: A multi-agency efforts rescued a woman (65) safely in a two-hour operation after her leg was stuck in a PVC pipe, which was a part of water supply valve, near Pachpir Chowk in Kalewadi on Tuesday evening.The operation involved deployment of advanced cutting equipment and coordination among multiple civic agencies.According to fire officials, the control room at the main fire station in Pimpri received information about the incident. A rescue team was rushed to the spot. At the spot, firefighters found that Smita Bhagwat Kasare was stuck till knees inside a narrow PVC pipe of 200mm diameter and 4 to 5 feet in depth.Officials said the woman's leg had been twisted inside the pipe, making any movement impossible. "Considering the complexity, we called for additional manpower and specialised machinery. Rescue personnel carefully excavated the surrounding area and used battery-operated grinder cutters, hydraulic cutters, petrol-engine-operated cutters and portable cutting equipment in the operation," Rushikant Chippade, a PCMC fire officer, told TOI.Women fire personnel continuously interacted with the woman to keep her calm and conscious. She was given water and ensured proper ventilation throughout the operation, he added.Several police personnel and engineers from the water supply department also assisted at the site by coordinating excavation work and controlling the crowd. Fire officials said utmost care was taken to avoid damage to nearby water pipelines, electric cables and PNG gas lines.