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How the people on the bus were saved
Last updated on: July 28, 2005 12:37 IST
We asked readers about how they coped with the torrential rain in Mumbai and this is what the responses said, verbatim:
My sister reached home safely at 11 am today after 19 hours. there was no police, no navy but around 200 locals who saved their lives.
The story goes like this as told by my sister... people get stranded on buses, cars in kurla at around 4 pm, water reaches neck level in the single decker buses when locals rush to help them. they break some seats, get ropes so that people can hold it and float from the single decker bus to double decker bus in neck deep water. Passengers stay overnight in the bus, around 150 in the upper deck as the deck below is completely submerged in water. The locals keep a watch on them the whole night telling them not to get scared.
They wait for help patiently. Luckily the rain also subsides and the water level comes down to around 9 feet. There were around 200 locals in the morning at 6 am. They carry ropes and 5 litre empty plastic dabbas. They conduct the rescue operation in a very organized manner. The ropes are used to tie the buses and people hold them while getting down the bus.
One local helps one passenger cross the current and hands him over to another local who helps him swim using the empty plastic container as support and takes him to Kurla station. The women get scared at first but after persuasion by the volunteers they agree and they are also carried safely till Kurla station. The Kurla locals really took good care of all the passengers and saved the passengers on the bus.
My sister and the other passengers are alive today because of the locals. You are the real heroes. thank you so much.