Effective coordination between personnel from different agencies proved vital in locating people trapped under the debris.
The bulk of the rescue operations was carried out by personnel from the National Disaster and Rescue Force (NDRF) with support from Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services, the city and State police forces, Tamil Nadu Home Guards and other volunteers.
More than 350 rescue operators from the IV battalion, NDRF station in Arakkonam, Vellore district, and the first team reached the spot at 8 p.m. on Saturday.
It was a huge challenge for them as they had to cut through the debris to activate necessary signals to establish the location of those trapped inside.
S.P. Selvan, deputy inspector-general, NDRF, said their workers were equipped with equipment such as electromagnetic meters and advanced life detection tools.
‘Delsar’, which has the ability to send signals in case of vibration from inside the wreckage, was also deployed on the site.
CMRL pitches inResponding to the State government’s request, Chennai Metro Rail Limited (CMRL) too assisted the rescue operations.
They sent three JCB machines, a crane, seven tractor compressors, seven gas cutters and about 120 workers and supervisors to the accident spot, said an official of CMRL.
The machinery was supplied by Larsen & Toubro and Afcons, both employed by CMRL for Metro Rail work.
Managing director of CMRL, Pankaj Kumar Bansal, and other senior officials visited the accident spot on Sunday.
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