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10 students among 23 rescued in Ahmedabad

At least 23 people, including ten students buried under the debris of a collapsed school building were rescued alive on Sunday, three days after the killer earthquake rocked Gujarat, even as people's anger rose high over the "slow pace" of rescue operations.

Besides the 10 students, another 13 were rescued from two other sites in the worst affected Maninagar area in the suburb of the city.

The survivors included a woman, Mona Singhvi and a 10-year-old child, Vicky.

"After 40 hours of sustained operations we were able to take out 23 people alive from the debris -- including 10 of the 70 students feared trapped under the debris of the Swaminarayan Vidya Mandir," B H Patel, divisional officer of the Maninagar fire station, said.

Those rescued had suffered minor to major injuries and have been admitted to various hospitals, he said.

Meanwhile, resentment was palpable in the vicinity. "Relief operations are going at a very slow pace and no proper equipment is being used to clear the rubble," said Vishnubhai, whose cousin's body was extricated from the debris.

NCC cadets were helping the Army and firemen to clear the concrete heaps and in cutting through wrangled steel by using gas cutters.

Residents in the area complain of the rescue team being poorly equipped. The operation cannot move at a faster pace until cranes and bulldozers were deployed to remove the huge concrete slabs, Devendra Patel, who lost his 14-year-old son, said.

"We have ourselves managed a 40-tonne crane from a private contractor," said Jayendra Patel. who lost his three daughters along with Devendra's son.

The residents were shelling out Rs 3000 per day as diesel cost besides rent of the crane, Patel, who himself miraculously escaped while his daughters got trapped under the debris of their flats, said.

PTI

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