Gambhira bridge collapse: Truck driver who survived, rescued drowning man discharged from hospital
VADODARA: A week after the Gambhira bridge collapse tragedy, which claimed 20 lives, truck driver Ganpat
Solanki
, who cheated death and rescued a drowning man, was discharged from the state-run SSG Hospital on Wednesday.
As Solanki, 40, a native of Udaipur, Rajasthan, walked out of the govt hospital, he appealed to the Gujarat govt to provide more financial assistance to his family.
On July 9, the driver displayed rare courage and used presence of mind after he survived the 50-foot plunge from the collapsed bridge into the Mahi River. He managed to rescue Narendra Parmar from drowning. Parmar, however, succumbed during treatment at the hospital on Friday last.
'I feel sorry that he did not survive even after he was rescued. May God bless his soul and help his family,' said Solanki, who was driving a tanker from Dahej to Kandla and slowed down while crossing the bridge when he suddenly felt a jolt.
After his truck got submerged in the Mahi River, Solanki at first did not realise that the bridge collapsed. But after regaining consciousness, he broke the tanker's window, escaped, and found a spot under the bridge pillar for safety.
by Taboola
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It was then that he spotted Parmar, who was struggling in the water just beside the pillar. Solanki, who himself received injuries in his left leg and an arm, extended his leg into the river, which Parmar grabbed, and later the driver pulled him up using his other arm.
After getting discharged, Solanki thanked doctors at the hospital, which he said were like God for people like him. 'I just want to appeal to the govt to kindly provide more assistance as I have four girls in my family.
The govt can also intervene, asking my company to provide me some assistance,' said Solanki, who works with an Odhav-based transport firm in Ahmedabad.
With Solanki getting discharged, there are two other injured currently undergoing treatment at SSG Hospital. 'While Raju Hathiya is being treated at the orthopaedics ward, another patient, Dilip Padhiyar, who developed a lung infection, is currently in the surgical intensive care unit. Their condition is stable,' said Dr Hitendra Chavan, RMO of SSG Hospital, told TOI.
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