Fire personnel while dousing a car on fire near NIO Colony at Dona Paula on Wednesday afternoon. One of their teammates collapsed and died after the firefighting operation. Captured by : Narayan Pissurlenkar
PANAJI
In an unfortunate incident, fireman Vasudev Haldankar died of a suspected heart attack while on duty on Wednesday. The 45-year-old was assisting a team of fire personnel to douse a flaming car near NIO Colony at Dona Paula in the afternoon.
The control room of the Fire & Emergency Services received a call around 12:46pm regarding the burning car. An official said that the fireman in the morning complained of being ‘unwell’ but he insisted on attending the call as it was a manageable situation.
The personnel collapsed after completing his task leaving his colleagues in a tizzy. A 108 Ambulance was called. Taleigao MLA Jennifer Monserrate who was incidentally at the spot offered her four-wheeler to the fire personnel to shift Haldankar to the hospital as the ambulance was yet to arrive.
The fireman was however declared dead by the doctors. The department of Fire & Emergency Services paid their last respects to the departed soul in an impromptu service held in the headquarters at St Inez after which the body was handed over to the family for final rites.
