Driver trapped in truck cabin, rescue begins after over 1 hour

The driver of a truck got trapped inside the cabin after an accident on the national highway 8, but rescue operation started after one and a half hours, and he was taken out after four hours of efforts, exposing slack working of an emergency response system.

The driver of the truck, heading towards Ahmedabad from Udaipur, lost control near Kherwara toll plaza and hit another truck going ahead on Friday morning, police said.

The 108 ambulance that came to the spot to take the bleeding driver to the community health centre in Kherwara did not have medicines or other aid. “We have Dyclo (a pain killer) in our list, but we do not have it on our ambulance right now as its supply has been stopped,” said a staff of the 108 service.

Asked about other basic medical facilities, he said, “Another ambulance has been called from Rishabhdeo and it’s on its way.”

Locals said the rescue operation started one and a half hours after the accident, but police claimed they reached the spot soon after getting information.

The delay happened though mock drills are often conducted to check the efficiency of emergency services.

The mangled cabin was cut with oxy-fuel gas cutters and the driver was pulled out of it. Locals joined the police in the four-hour rescue operation.