Missing firemen’s kin clutch at straws

Nikhil Bhardwaj

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 24

With the rescue operation at a factory collapse site entering the fifth day today, the families of three firemen who are yet to be traced from the debris are getting desperate. They visit the site again and again, hoping against hope.

Fireman Manohar Lal’s family is waiting for a miracle to happen. “We are hopeful and praying for his safety. He will definitely come out alive,” his daughter Tamana says.

Manpreet Singh, the brother of another missing fireman, Sukhdev Singh, reportedly told DC Pardeep Agrawal that if the rescue team could not find him, allow him to trace Sukhdev.

“My eyes have been waiting for to see Sukhdev. Though chances of him surviving the collapse are bleak, I hope his intact body can be recovered so that the last rites can be performed,” he said.

Langar organisers told to shift

Members of a langar committee of Baba Shrichand Gurdwara were fumed when they were told to shift the langar stall away from the debris.

Harpal Singh, a member of the committee said, “A police officer told us to shift langar within 10 minutes. His tone was rude. When we asked him the reason for it, he simply repeated his instruction.”

When committee members created ruckus, ACP Mandeep Singh allowed them to continue langar at the present site, but asked them not to hinder the rescue operation.

The police officer said, “We are not against langar. It is rather a noble work, but our focus is on rescue and we don’t want any hurdle in it.”

Factory owner’s police remand extended 

• Judicial Magistrate Gurpreet Kaur on Friday extended the police remand of Inderjeet Singh Gola, owner of the multi-storey plastic manufacturing factory which caught fire and collapsed on Monday, killing 13 people including six firemen, till November 26.
• The police had sought the extension of police remand for knowing the names of MC officials who allegedly helped Gola in illegally constructing the building. They also wanted to recover the site plan of the building and source from where the accused used to get chemicals.