Gurdwara sewadar changing cloth of Nishan Sahib pole dies after fall
As an exuberant Satwant Singh reached the top of the pole hosting the Nishan Sahib, the Sikh religious flag, to change its cloth, little did he know this day would turn out to be the last of his life.
Sewadar Satwant Singh was working on a temporary basis in the famous Kandh Sahib Gurdwara. He had lost his son in a tragic incident a few years ago while his wife is said to be sick for the past several months.
His colleagues claim that when he came to work early in the morning, he seemed to be excited and enthusiastic to change the cloth of the Nishan Sahib, 100 ft above the ground level. He had even discussed his future plans with some gurdwara workers before he clambered on the trolley, which took him to the top of the pole hosting the Nishan Sahib.
Sources said that just as he had completed changing the cloth, a wire supporting the trolley snapped following which Satwant Singh fell onto the ground from a height of 100 ft. He died on the spot.
Some of his colleagues tried cardiopulmonary resuscitation, CPR in medical parlance, but to no avail. The CPR is a method of artificial respiration that involves blowing air into lungs to help a person breathe. Satwant Singh had almost finished his job and was all set to return to the ground when the trolley imbalanced him following which he slipped and fell.
Panic gripped the gurdwara employees. Satwant Singh was rushed to a nearby private hospital where doctors declared him ‘brought dead’.
A doctor claimed a fall from 100 ft was always considered fatal. The likelihood of death is high due to the severe internal injuries sustained from the impact. “Most medical experts would classify a fall from this height as ‘non-survivable’. In this case, Satwant Singh had died instantly,” he said.
There have been multiple incidents in the past of people falling to death while changing or raising the Nishan Sahib.
SGPC member Gurinder Pal Singh Gora, who rushed to the gurdwara on learning about the incident, said “Satwant Singh was a hard worker and employed on a temporary basis in the gurdwara. I will speak to the SGPC top brass to ensure the kin of the deceased gets financial aid.”
