Date:05/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/05/stories/2008010560440300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Stage collapse: medical care not in time?

Ananth Krishnan

“Hotel management was unprepared to deal with an emergency”

Ambulances arrived only after an hour
By that time, most of the injured had found their way to hospital

CHENNAI: Ambulances were not provided quickly enough for those injured during the stage collapse at Hotel Savera on New Year’s eve, according to witnesses and friends of those seriously injured.

Sumith Agnihothri, a 24-year-old software professional, died in the early hours of Tuesday in a hospital following the incident. Two others, college students, remain in a critical condition. The two students, who were seriously injured, had to be taken to hospital by their friends.

While the stage made of wooden planks over the swimming pool, on which hundreds were dancing, gave way at 11.20 p.m., the first ambulance arrived after nearly an hour. A second ambulance arrived some 15 minutes later and by that time, most of those injured had already found their own way to hospital for treatment or had left the premises.

Doctors say that the administration of first aid and access to proper medical care in the immediate moments after such incidents can be crucial in saving lives. “You need to be given access to treatment within half an hour. Fortyfive minutes for an ambulance to arrive, or waiting up to one hour for treatment, is simply too late,” a doctor said.

Despite the close proximity of the dance floor to the water, the hotel management seemed “unprepared” for dealing with an emergency, a witness said.

“They were simply overwhelmed by the number of people in the water and the chaos after the stage caved in,” the witness added.

Initial inquires indicated that the stage was poorly constructed.

The crack predominantly occurred towards the deeper end of the pool, which is between eight and ten feet in depth.

By some estimates, there were around 50 people in the water following the collapse. Those assisting the rescue efforts were largely private security personnel and hotel staff who were not all trained in first aid, according to a witness, who added that there were not enough life guards present.

It took up to 25 minutes until everyone was helped out of the water. By then, the damage was done.