Man Trapped Inside Pumping Station Pipe Rescued

Cuttack: The man, who got trapped while working inside a pumping station pipe at Tulasipur in Cuttack district on Thursday morning, was rescued around 3:35 pm after a seven-hour-long operation by ODRAF and fire officials.

The victiim, identified as Pranakrushna Muduli, was taken out of the pipe by cutting open the concrete chamber.

“He has been taken to SCB Medical College and Hospital for check-up. A team of doctors had inspected his health condition from outside the pipe following which oxygen packets were supplied into the pipe while the rescue operation was underway,” said chief fire officer Sukant Sethi.

Suction machine, breathing apparatus, drilling machine, blower and other equipment were used in the rescue operation, he added.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik expressed relief and happiness over the rescue of Muduli. He also congratulated fire officials and the ODRAF team for the successful operation.

The incident took place around 8 am when Muduli, a former employee of Cuttack Municipal Corporation (CMC), got stuck inside the 2.5-wide pipe while clearing a blockage.

He was sucked about 15-20 metres into the pipe when a staffer of the pumping station turned on the motor of the pump for water supply, sources said.