24 Dec 2010: I called Raghu at 8 am to find out whether they have started from Bangalore. He informed me that they are having Breakfast on the way in Bidadi. I planned accordingly so as to Join them in Mysore at the same time. We my drive to Mysore from Mandya on at 9:45am, along with my spouse and kid.When we had reached about 10 KMs from Mandya I received a call from Rasheed, Div Warden of KR Market that they just crossed Mandya.
While on the way we saw that a bus (KSRTC Volvo Bus From Bangalore to Madikeri) has hit a Bike and the there w
ere 2 victims. One of them got injury on his leg. And I took his pic and when we moved further I saw the other guy probably the one who was driving the bile with lots of injuries on his head and he was bleeding all over the body. He was taking deep breaths. And a few passer by advising him to to keep breathing deeply. Nobody knows how to give First Aid nor the Ambulance number. The nearest town is about 7 to 8 KMs (SriRangapatna).Nobody is stoping there vehicles to shift the patient to the hospital. I called our team who were on transit to Mysore may be about 5 kms behind, to reach the spot soon.. But the condition of the victim is very bad to wait for our vehicle to arrive. Luckily I was wearing the Yellow Jacket of Civil Defence . We stopped the traffic with the help of the villagers who came running to rescue. And Identified a vehicle which could take the victims. Thank God we sent them to Hospital. Mean while the Villagers started demonstration by holding the traffic, RASTA BUND. They were planning to do a big demonstration there. As the accidents are happening frequently and there are no speed breakers. The Traffic was jammed for nearly 1/2 km stretch in less than 10 minutes. Mean while 27 of our Civil Defence volunteers arrived. All of them in Yellow Jackets. We all joined to clear the traffic and the team moved from there after the traffic got cleared.
If the traffic did not got cleared the villagers would have done a big demonstration making it difficult for all the vehicles to drive. And Burn the Devil Bus which hit the bike.
We left the place when we saw that the Traffic Cop has arrived to control the scene. The Driver and the conductor of the bus were not present at the scene.
We could hear a few words what the villagers were speaking like this
".....Id yadappa Husa Defensu..?, Sudanagi bandru, Seve madru , matte horthudru..."'What is this new defence? they came suddenly, did there work & left?', I could not explain to them what Civil Defence is, as the Team had already left and I have to follow them to reach the Inaguration of the Mysore Civil Defence Division.
"ಇದ್ ಏನಪ್ಪಾ ಹುಸ ದೆಫೆನ್ಸು ? ಸಡನ್ನಾಗಿ ಬಂದ್ರು, ಸೇವೆ ಮದ್ದ್ರು ಮತ್ತ ಹೊರ್ತ್ಹೊದ್ರು "
I must thank all the villagers & the vehicle who helped to transfer the victim to the Hospital.
The Civil Defence Team Bhandhari, Raghu, Rasheed, Prakash Reddy, Umesh, Harish Shivanand, Srinivas, Shanthiprasad and the rest of the members who rushed to the spot.
It is a co incidence that this happened while we are on the way to launch the Mysore chapter of Civil Defence at the JSS Auditorium, Ooty Road, Mysore.
Lessons Learned:
- We need to identify volunteers on the Highway and enroll them in the Civil Defence and e them to to First Aid.
- We should create awareness among villagers about Civil Defence and also on life saving techniques.
- We should also enroll HTV drivers and train them on basic and advanced First Aid & Life saving techniques.
Civil Defence Divisional Warden, 25,
Bangalore
