Agartala: As many as 31 Covid19 positive persons kept in a government-run Covid care centre escaped the makeshift health facility in the wee hours of Thursday. The patients broke the backside window of the building and jumped the boundaries of the backyard, police said. They had arrived in Tripura to attend the recruitment rally of Tripura State Rifles after which they were tested positive.
“Maximum patients who have succeeded to flee away are from outside the state. We have put the railway stations, bus stations and other areas on high alert informing them about the incident,” said SDPO Amtali Anirban Das.
When questioned about their escape, Das said the matter is under investigation and adequate security has been there at the entrance of the health facility but they choose the back door and managed to give a slip.
“We have not deployed any security there as it is already covered with boundaries. They have done it as per a well thought out plan observing the security arrangements,” Das added.
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Later in the evening, DM West Tripura district Sailesh Kumar Yadav confirmed that all the patients who escaped the Covid care centre were from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Bengal who came here to participate in the Tripura state rifle recruitment rally. According to him, the police succeeded to trace the patients and as per their current locations, they had crossed the borders of Tripura.
Police sources further revealed that two trains had departed from Agartala railway station after the development and all of them must have fled on board any of the trains that were heading towards Silchar and Sealdah.
“Many people came from Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Rajasthan to participate in the TSR recruitment rally that concluded on April 21 last. COVID19 testing was conducted there and altogether 46 people were found positive among them. They were sent to institutional isolation at PRTI Building AD Nagar Agartala. Among them, 31 patients broke the window and jumped the boundary. The officials posted there came to know about the incident while serving breakfast,” the district magistrate said.
As per the available information, 14 out of them were from Bihar, seven were from UP, six of them belonged to Rajasthan and one patient each were from Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal.
“We have traced them through the mobile numbers registered with us. All of them have already crossed the borders of Tripura. The respective states have been informed about the development and they will be kept in isolation there. Specific cases are registered with the local police station and steps will be taken as per the law”, Yadav added.
