John Wilbert &Vikramaditya
Port Blair, August 06: The news of sudden collapse of Panighat jetty yesterday has sent a shockwave across Andaman and Nicobar Islands and now questions are being raised whether this catastrophe was avoidable.
As per details the collapse occurred between 5:00 PM to 5:10 PM on a Saturday evening, with a crowd of more than 50 to 60 people gathered on and around the Jelly. Eyewitnesses said that only three individuals, two women, and one man, suffered minor injuries. They were standing on the front portion of the jetty when it gave way, plunging them into the sea. Swift action by local youths saved the day, rescuing the stranded victims.
This tragic incident raises several questions about the safety of old jetties in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. When were regular surveys of the jetty’s strength conducted? Why are such reports not in the public domain? What if the collapse had occurred during peak hours with maximum crowding? Public demands are echoing the need for regular safety assessments of old jetties and making such reports publicly available.
Rasheeda Banu Pradhan, a member of the Gram Panchayat in Hope Town, witnessed the tragedy unfold. She recounted the terrifying moment when a mother (36 years old) and her daughter (15 years old) from Austhinabad as well as a man fell into the sea along with the jetty. Thanks to the timely intervention of nearby youths, both women were rescued and taken to CHC Bambooflat for treatment.
Disaster Management officials told Andaman Sheekha that the Jetty was very old and the Department can’t comment anything further without a detailed investigation. “The case is under investigation and the technical expert team has already started the investigation,” he said. He said that although an earthquake of magnitude 4.8 occurred around 41 kilometers away in the Bay of Bengal yesterday, it is too early to attribute the jetty collapse to seismic activity.
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