A youth was rescued from a 270ft BSNL tower in Siliguri after eight hours
Finally, around 11.30pm, nearly eight hours after he was first spotted, the youth was brought safely to the ground”, said a police officer. Because of the height of the structure, from the ground, it was difficult for rescuers to speak to the youth or understand his state of mind.
SILIGURI: “Posto diye kumro bhaja chai” — a request for pumpkin fried with poppy seeds from atop a 270ft BSNL tower set off an eight-hour rescue operation in Siliguri on Wednesday night, with police deploying a drone to communicate with the youth before a team of mountaineers finally brought him down around 11.30pm. ACP (East) Rana Mukherjee said police were trying to establish the youth’s identity and determine how he managed to enter the stadium premises and gain access to the ageing BSNL tower. The investigation has begun to trace the exact sequence of events”, said Mukherjee.
As news of the man at the top of the tower spread, crowds began gathering around the stadium. Police, fire services, Civil Defence personnel and disaster-management teams rushed to the spot. The immediate challenge was communication. The Siliguri Police Commissionerate then deployed a drone to establish communication with him. “The youth was secured in a stretcher-like arrangement, following which the team began the painstaking process of lowering him from the tower. The descent had to be carried out carefully, with the rescuers ensuring that he remained secure throughout the operation. “We investigating the incident and were also working to ascertain the youth’s identity. The incident has also raised questions over security around the telecommunications structure and the stadium premises, particularly how the youth managed to climb a tower nearly 270ft high without being intercepted.