The Indian Air Force (IAF) successfully rescued 13 fishermen stranded on a small island in the flooded Brahmaputra River in Assam’s Dibrugarh district, officials from the State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA) reported on Tuesday.
The fishermen have been trapped since June 28 due to rising floodwaters.
The ASDMA further requested the IAF’s assistance to rescue the fishermen from the Hatia Ali area of the district.
In response, the IAF dispatched a Mi-17 IV helicopter from Air Force Station Mohanbari, which undertook the challenging mission on 2 July.
Taking to X, the IAF posted, “IAF rescued 13 marooned survivors from a small island in the flooded Brahmaputra, north of Dibrugarh in Assam.”
“On 02 Jul 24, after a sunrise takeoff, a Mi-17 IV helicopter from AFS Mohanbari flew in challenging weather conditions and undertook rescue ops from a marshy piece of land. The coordinated efforts of Pilot & Flt Gunner ensured prompt and safe boarding of 13 survivors. Emergency First Aid was provided by Indian Air Force after the rescue,” IAF added.
Rising water levels and the river’s extreme currents thwarted the efforts of the National and State Disaster Response Forces and Inland Water Transport boats to reach the stranded fishermen.
Dibrugarh district has been severely affected by the second wave of flooding, with most localities in eastern Assam inundated over the past week.
On Sunday, the IAF rescued eight SDRF personnel and a revenue official stranded in Jonai, Dhemaji district, during flood relief operations.
The flood situation in Assam has worsened since Sunday due to incessant rainfall in Arunachal Pradesh, affecting over 644,000 people across 19 districts.
The death toll from the floods has risen to 35 this year, with additional fatalities caused by storms and landslides in various parts of the state.
The flood-affected districts include Kamrup, Golaghat, Majuli, Lakhimpur, Karimganj, Cachar, Dhemaji, Morigaon, Udalguri, Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Darrang, Nalbari, Sonitpur, Tamulpur, Biswanath, and Jorhat.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi discussed the flood situation in a phone call with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
Taking to X, Himanta Biswa Sarma posted, “Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji called me to enquire about the flood situation in Assam.”
“I explained that Assam is experiencing a second wave of floods this year due to heavy rains in Arunachal Pradesh and parts of our upper Assam districts. I also briefed him about the relief measures undertaken by the state government. He assured me of full cooperation from the Government of India in this hour of crisis,” he added.
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