AHMEDABAD: The 7-foot cave-in near Jivraj Park Bridge not only injured Ashraf Shaikh, a two-wheeler mechanic, but also swallowed a large part of his pandemic-wrecked savings.
Shaikh has to spend Rs 10,000 for repairs on a customer’s bike he was riding.
He and his friend plunged into the crater which suddenly opened up beneath them on Tuesday.
“At about 4pm that day, I needed to get two-wheeler parts for a customer,” Shaikh said.
“Since no other vehicle was available, I took the customer’s bike.
Near the bridge, my friend Tausif Panarwala and I fell into a hole after the road caved in.” Shaikh said he then sent an SOS to his friend, Yash Goplani, an auto parts trader in the area.
“Meanwhile, people gathered and made efforts to pull us out of the cave-in,” Shaikh said.
“One Good Samaritan who tried to rescue us fell down into the pit too.” Shaikh said people tried using a rope, but that did not work.
“So my friend and I lifted the person who had fallen in while trying to pull us out,” Shaikh said.
“After he was safe, we were extricated.” Shaikh said the road is patchy and continues to be a great hazard for commuters.
He said he was lucky to escape with minor injuries while his friend has wounds on his leg.
“I am really worried about the bike of the customer as it is badly damaged,” Shaikh said.
“I am not sure if the customer will be satisfied even after the repairs.” Shaikh’s other friend, Goplani, who reached the spot called the fire department.
“I rushed to the accident site only to find the two in the pit,” Goplani said.
“Shaikh was coming to my shop.
The bike is in a really bad condition.”