Gujarat rains: 319 salt pan workers in Kutch rescued, 125 of them airlifted

The IAF airlifted 125 of the workers while the others were taken to safety using boats and vehicles, officials said.

MORE THAN 300 salt-pan workers who were trapped in floodwaters near Hajipir area on the Indo-Pakistan international border in Kutch district were rescued by teams of NDRF and Indian Air Force helicopters late Sunday evening.

The IAF airlifted 125 of the workers while the others were taken to safety using boats and vehicles, officials said.

Government officials of Kutch district said that 319 workers of Satyesh Brinechem Private Limited were trapped around 20 km inside the desert early Sunday when the Nara dam overflowed and water flooded the saltpans. The workers of the bromine-manufacturing company were cut off for around 24 hours as roads had been either submerged or damaged and mobile networks snapped, officials said.

Sub-divisional Magistrate of Nakhatrana in Kutch, Govindsinh Rathod, told The Indian Express on Monday that he had received a distress call from a family member of one of the workers on Sunday.

“When we reached the spot with an NDRF (National Disaster Response Force) team, we found that not only a dozen, but more than 300 people were trapped in the floodwaters,” the SDM said.

Rathod said the NDRF had only one inflatable boat and the road leading out of the salt pans had been damaged, hampering rescue efforts. Kutch District Collector Remya Mohan then sought the help of the Indian Air Force to airlift the stranded workers. “We started the rescue operation at around 3 pm but the light was fading fast and we were running out of time to shit the people to safety,” Rathod said. The IAF helicopter did five sorties, airlifting 125 people in all before sunset.”

Meanwhile, the IAF also rescued people trapped in floodwaters in Jamnagar district on Sunday. “Rescue missions were also undertaken in Jodia and Pittar areas near Jamnagar where two Mi17 helicopters were pressed into action,” PTI quoted an officer as saying.

Source: Read Full Article