Ahmedabad: Lothal, believed to mean “mound of the dead”, became the site of death on Wednesday when a cave-in claimed the life of a young climatologist. The mudslide, occurred during an excavation by teams from IIT Delhi and IIT Gandhinagar. Following the incident, the safety procedures followed by the team came under scrutiny. A team from the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) – under whose jurisdiction the 4,000-year-old site falls – reached the spot for investigation.
“The primary images from the site indicate digging by JCB. A 15-foot deep trench cannot be dug using conventional methods in 2-3 days,” said a senior researcher, on condition of anonymity.
Sources also criticized the absence of local experts in the team, noting it was not typical excavation season “as the earth retains moisture post-rains”. The water flow could have caused the soil to turn to mud, they added. “The trenches are usually dug in a slant to make them work as retaining walls for teams wanting to work at the base. We need to check if this was done,” said the researcher.
The team was reportedly studying sediments to analyze millennia-old climate change patterns at Lothal, one of the oldest dockyards in the world.
The collapse occurred around 10.30am, trapping two researchers from IIT Delhi at the trench’s base. Locals and team members, alerted by cries for help, managed to rescue Surbhi Verma, but she had already lost her pulse. A fire brigade team from Dholka reached the spot. After considering the nature of the incident, a team of Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Services (AFES) from Bopal fire station was also sent to Lothal.
Two others were extracted by fire services and stabilized after treatment. Prof Yama Dixit from IIT Delhi, who experienced breathing difficulties and high blood pressure, was transported to a private hospital in Gandhinagar.
