PALAKKAD: The Director General of Fire and Rescue Services has issued a show-cause notice to District Fire Officer VK Ritij 'for the lapse on his part in reporting the incident of Babu getting trapped in a rock cleft to the higher-ups promptly.
Despite the photos of Babu appearing in media, effective intervention on the part of the fire and rescue services was not forthcoming, said the notice. Instead, it should have been reported to the state control room, the Director General or the technical director of the Fire and Rescue Services Department.
The department has drawn flak from various quarters over allegedly not deputing enough personnel and not providing technical support for the rescue operation. The Director General has demanded a reply to the notice within 48 hours from the District Fire Officer.
There were capable persons in the Fire and Rescue Services team who could have executed the rescue operation done by the Army. The incident at Nelliyampathi over a year ago, when one among two youths who had fallen into a gorge was saved by the Fire and Rescue Services personnel, was also mentioned.
Babu and three other youths climbed the Kurumbachi hills last Monday. While the three youths returned, Babu was stuck in a rock cleft.