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1,330 rescued in 226 sorties by IAF choppers in Himachal
A spokesperson said that air force deployed two Mi-17 V5, one Mi-17 1V and two Cheetah helicopters in the operations
Indian Air Force helicopters carried out 226 sorties, spanning 115 flight hours, and rescued 1,330 people in flood-hit areas of Himachal Pradesh, a defence spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The choppers delivered 45 tonnes of relief material, they added.
The spokesperson said that air force deployed two Mi-17 V5, one Mi-17 1V and two Cheetah helicopters in the operations.
From July 11 to 31, humanitarian assistance and disaster relief operations were carried out in Chandratal and SamundarTapu Axis, air-dropping rations, medicines and essential supplies.
Chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and senior leadership of the state also used the IAF choppers for assessment of ground situation, the spokesperson said.
Sustenance rations and essential medicines were also delivered to the stranded people in Sainj area in Kullu. “In all, 116 sorties were flown and over 30 tonnes of relief material was dropped. A total of 306 people were rescued,” the spokesperson added.
In August, when floods inundated Fatehpur and Indora, and caused severe damage in Shimla, IAF helicopters were deployed in relief efforts.
One Chinook helicopter deployed excavation equipment of the Engineer Regiment, weighing 3 tonnes, along with 18 troops in Shimla to clear debris and assist in rescue at a temple that had collapsed in Summer Hill.
Two Mi-17 1V helicopters were deployed in Pathankot. In Kangra’s Fatehpur and Indora, IAF Mi-17 helicopters rescued over 1,000 civilians, said the spokesperson.
Starting August 24, requests were received from the state government for immediate relief operations in areas that were cut-off due to flooding.
The three-day effort was primarily focused on air-dropping rations.
Four patients were also airlifted from Mandi to Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research, Chandigarh, the spokesperson added.