After every fire, people conveniently forget the firemen who rescued them, by risking their own necks. The heroic efforts of firemen in the Air India Express IX 812 crash too have gone unsung. After nearly a year, their efforts were labelled as ‘nothing extraordinary’.
The fireman’s manual on aircraft disasters and fires depicts a burning aircraft as a bomb waiting to explode. The oxygen tubes, the helium-filled gadgets, and the hydraulic systems are full of highly combustible material which gives firemen only 160 seconds to carry out any rescue operation.
“It is called ‘2.5 minute window’. Within this time, the fire will travel through the tubular structure of the plane engulfing the entire passenger area. Attempts to save lives will have to be made within that time,” said regional fire chief of Mangalore HS Varadarajan.
“The IX 812 crash happened in a valley where approach was difficult but our vehicle reached there in eight to nine minutes of the crash. The first gush of aqua film forming foam was administered within 13 to 15 minutes of the crash. But, by that time, fire had engulfed the entire plane and the broken parts of the belly had strewn around in three different places and had turned into mounds of fire,” he said.
“We were criticised for using the AFFF. But it is the only material that can extinguish high intensity fire ignited by highly volatile material like aviation turbine fuel (ATF). Any water sprayed on the burning plane will just evaporate even before it reaches the target area,” said Varadarajan who had fought fire in the 1999 Bangalore air crash and another in Yelahanka air base.
To carry out effective rescue and recovery operations in anemergency situation, it is necessary to cordon off 500 metres around the crash area.
To carry out effective rescue and recovery operations in anemergency situation, it is necessary to cordon off 500 metres around the crash area.
“No unauthorised person should be allowed inside. In the case of Mangalore crash, everybody who was anybody entered the site. Indeed, some of them tried to help us but most of them only added to the confusion. The narrow road between Kenjar and Adyapady was blocked with all kinds of vehicles including private cars and two wheelers, not allowing the emergency vehicles to operate freely,” he said.
“The victims’ bodies were damaged so badly that it was hard to identify them. The disaster management machinery had no clue about a procedure called ‘Triage Area (TA)’ where the fireman on duty will deposit the recovered body.This facility was missing at the crash site.It is possible to identify the body by the relatives with the help of the article recovered from the body,” said a high ranking police official who took part in the rescue mission on that fateful day.
The firemen who risked their lives to go into the inferno that was IX 812 on that day were paid as reward a paltry `100 by the fire and emergency services department.
“The director general of police (fire and emergency services) has rights only to declare rewards up to ` 10,000. In this case, since there were many firemen involved, the sum was divided and each of them got only that much,” said a source in the DG’s office.
“Just compare that with the rewards that our cricketers get, you will hide your head in shame,” said PV Mohan, a political activist.
“Just compare that with the rewards that our cricketers get, you will hide your head in shame,” said PV Mohan, a political activist.
“But we have given them bravery certificates and I am sure some of them will be recommended for presidential and other medals of honour. I have personally sent photos of the bravest of them all, one fireman Vijay Devadiga, who had recovered an infant which was breathing at that point of time after he entered the smothering mound of rubber and foam just minutes after the crash. His photos have been displayed at all fire stations across Karnataka,” Varadarajan said.
“I did not try to be a hero of sorts, I did not even think of a monetary reward or a medal. I was just doing my duty and when I found the infant stuck in aisle crammed with burning material, it was still breathing. I did not think of anything else but to pick it and run to an ambulance,” said Devadiga
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