DHAKA: “I lived by drinking water for 17 days. I saved two bottles of water that rescuers’ threw at various times for trapped workers and drank slightly from the bottles everyday.”
On the 17th day of collapse of Rana Plaza, rescued female RMG worker Reshma said this in broken voice.
At present, Reshma is under treatment at the ICU of Combined Military Hospital (CMH) of Savar.
Reshma told banglanews, “I lived by drinking water for 17 days. I was trapped under the rubbles of the building but I went to the prayer hall of the building. Rescuers’ sent bottles of water at different times. I saved two bottles of water and drank from there a little at every time.”
She added, “I used to eat the leftovers and drops of water from various holes.
Food was finished at one stage. Then I started to drink water only. For the last two days I had to starve as I got nothing to eat or drink.”
Being rescued after 408 hours of the collapse, she told, “I listen to the sounds of rescuing equipments and believed that Allah will rescue me from the ravages.”
Reshma is under treatment at the ICU of Savar CMH and doctors feeding her cautiously. A medical board has also been formed for her treatment.
She hailed from Tulsibari village under Ghoraghat upazila of Dinajpur District. Seven months ago her husband Razzak left her. She used to work as a sewing operator at the New Wave Bottoms garment on the
third floor of Rana Plaza.
Rescuers found her alive on the 17th day of collapse as she was waving a GI
pipe. Later she was recovered after a 45-minute operation.
An earlier report said: It’s all a miracle. One is not supposed to remain alive after 72 hours after being trapped in a collapsed building. Reshma belied it. The 19-year-old garment worker was pulled out alive after 391 hours into the disastrous Rana Plaza collapse.“I saw a pipe moving around while walking in the area. When I approached the pipe, I heard someone groaning inside. As I laid one of my ears on a hole, I heard the voice of a woman saying ‘save me’, ‘save me’,” said rescue worker Rafique who traced the trapped garment worker first.
Reshma who hails from Ghoraghat upazila of Dinajpur district was a worker of New Wave Bottoms Ltd.
Rescuers pulled her out alive from the rubble of the collapsed building around 4:26pm. Later, she was taken to the Combined Military Hospital, Savar.
Reshma was traced alive and almost unhurt on the basement of the eight-storey building around 3:15 pm to prove the sayings that if God protects, none can destroy and all is possible when miracles happen.
According to rescuers, Reshma spent the hours in the prayer room on the basement. She survived so long taking dry food she took along with her on the fateful day on April 24 when the Rana Plaza came down crashing.
However, the food ran out two days ago and she starved for the last two days. “We first gave her water and biscuits,” Major Moazzem Hossain of Army told reporters at the spot.
Later, many of the rescue workers talked to her when she said in a week voice that her name is Reshma.
Soon after she was traced alive, the members of Army and Fire Service stopped the use of heavy equipment and concentrated on rescuing her alive. The rescuers created a hole by a cutter machine to pull her out through it.
People present there also raised their hands in supplication seeking divine blessings for the recovery of the female garment worker alive.
Eyes of the country’s people were also fixed on the screens of different private television channels that telecast live the unprecedented event.
After an hour-long successful rescue operation, Reshma was recovered from the rubble around 4:26pm.
State Minister for LGRD and Cooperatives Jahangir Kabir Nanak and General Officer Commanding (GOC) of the Ninth Infantry Division Major General Chowdhury Hasan Suhrawardy were present.
After being pulled out of the ruins, Reshma wanted to talk to her sister, Asma, who was present at the spot. Hearing the name in the hand microphone, Asma rushed to the ambulance of the Army which took Reshma to the Savar CMH.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina talked to Reshma over mobile phone of the GOC on her way to the Savar CMH.
Later, the Prime Minister visited the CMH at Savar to see Reshma.
Sheikh Hasina was flown to Savar by an Air Force helicopter immediately.
The Prime Minister talked to 19-year-old Reshma and enquired about her condition from doctors.
Later talking to reporters, the Prime Minister expressed gratitude to Almighty Allah for rescuing Reshma 391 hours after the Rana Plaza collapse. “It is a miracle, indeed,” she said thanking the rescuers.
Hasina said the trained rescuers comprising Army, Navy, Air Force, Fire Brigade and Civil Defence, Police, BGB and Red Crescent, have been working round-the-clock with patience and very cautiously. (Source: UNB & banglanews24.com)
