Last Updated on 01/08/2024 by wccexam Desk
The devastation that started in Wayanad has not stopped yet. Since the landslide that occurred late on Monday, rescue teams have rescued thousands of people and sent them to relief camps. Amidst the warning of rain, rescue teams are doing their work. But it is not easy to save people trapped under the rubble. Many times, deaths have been seen even after coming out of the rubble in a safe condition, which can happen from a few hours to several days later.
Why does death occur even after survival
There can be many reasons for post-rescue death. The first of these is that the rescue team may not have properly understood the injuries of the victim after removing him from the rubble, or the hospital may have missed it due to excessive pressure. But science has other reasons for this.
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One of these is hypothermia
The temperature below the debris formed due to landslides or earthquakes decreases. This temperature is much lower than above the ground. Especially if the accident has happened in cold places or during rain. This causes the blood vessels of the people buried under the debris to shrink. This is a process through which the blood cells ensure that as little heat as possible escapes from the body through the skin. This reduces the upper temperature of the body, while the internal temperature remains high so that the vitals keep working.
Sudden dilation or contraction of blood vessels is dangerous
During rescue, a lot of effort has to be made to bring the victim up from below. The victim’s body keeps moving continuously. Due to this, the blood vessels suddenly expand. Due to the immediate change in temperature, a condition of cardiac arrhythmia can occur, i.e. irregular heartbeat. This is life-threatening.
Crush syndrome is a common cause
If a part of the body is buried under the debris, the tissues in that part get damaged. During this, myoglobin is released from the body. This is a type of protein that takes the responsibility of supplying oxygen to the damaged part of the body. This is fine, but as soon as the person is taken out of the debris, this protein limited to one part of the body will spread throughout the body. This can lead to kidney failure. This is also called crush syndrome.
the heart stops working
The amount of potassium can increase so much that it can lead to ventricular fibrillation. Due to this, the heart is unable to supply blood to every part of the body. This condition can be especially dangerous for people who are already suffering from heart diseases.
Even less stress can be fatal
This was seen a lot during the rescue of drowning people in the sea. As soon as people see the rescue team near them, they start believing that they will come out safely. Due to this, the level of their stress hormones drops rapidly. Stress hormones work to save lives during disasters because due to them the brain gets a signal and it tells all the organs to work properly. But as soon as the level of stress hormones suddenly decreases, the circulatory system can collapse.
Mental stress can also cause death
Sometimes the sudden mental stress after rescue can also be fatal, like the survivor realises that his family is gone or missing or all his property is destroyed. In such a situation, even a minor injury can become serious. It has also been observed that after disasters like earthquake or tsunami, the number of patients suffering from severe depression increases in that area who have a tendency to commit suicide.
However, one can survive for many days inside the debris. This depends on the condition in which the person is buried inside. If air and water are reaching him, then a healthy adult can survive for a week. This is the reason why the United Nations talks about continuing an intensive rescue operation for 5 to 7 days in case of a natural disaster.