Army rescues 25 CRPF jawans, civilians from flooded village in Punjab

As many as 22 CRPF personnel and three civilians were evacuated from a flooded village in Punjab by an Army helicopter on Wednesday morning, minutes before the building they were sheltering in collapsed, a defence spokesperson said.

Incessant heavy rain in parts of Punjab has triggered flash floods in various areas, with the Sutlej, Beas and Ravi rivers and seasonal rivulets in spate.

Army Aviation, in a swift and daring operation, evacuated 25 people who were stranded near Madhopur Headworks, an area bordering Lakhanpur in Jammu and Kashmir, since Tuesday, the spokesperson said.

At 6 am on Wednesday, Army Aviation helicopters took off to carry out the rescue operation despite challenging conditions and all stranded individuals were safely evacuated, he said.

The building where these people were sheltering collapsed shortly after the evacuation, highlighting the timeliness and precision of the rescue, the spokesperson said.

“This successful operation once again reflects the Indian Army’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding lives and its ability to respond promptly in crisis situations. The synergy between Army and local authorities... (averted) a potential tragedy,” he said.