IAF Garud Commandos Winching 12 Stranded From Submerged Roof in Flooded Indravati River
_1137447754.jpg)
In a textbook demonstration of tactical precision and humanitarian courage, the Indian Air Force (IAF) executed a dramatic aerial rescue operation in southern Chhattisgarh, airlifting 12 individuals who had spent an agonizing night marooned amid the swirling currents of the surging Indravati River. The stranded group, which included three young children and two women, found themselves trapped in Dongaghat village near Jagdalpur when torrential catchment runoff triggered an abrupt spike in river water levels overnight, cutting off all terrestrial escape routes. With floodwaters threatening to wash away local residential structures, the Bastar district administration requisitioned immediate military intervention, prompting the launch of an emergency sortie from the Jagdalpur operational base utilizing an IAF Mi-17V5 heavy-lift tactical helicopter.
Daring Rooftop Airlift: Elite Garud Commandos Execute Precision Winch Extraction
The successful evacuation required pinpoint flying skills and high-risk ground maneuvers in adverse environmental conditions:
Collapsing Earthen Structure: Upon arriving over Dongaghat village, IAF aircrews spotted the 12 terrified villagers huddled precariously on the slanted roof of a mud-and-thatch hut, which was rapidly weakening as churning river currents battered its foundational base.
Tactical Winch Descent: Confronted with an imminent structural collapse and zero landing clearance, elite IAF Garud Special Forces commandos winched down directly onto the fragile rooftop to secure the perimeter and calm the trapped family members.
Child and Infant Prioritization: The commandos systematically harnessed the three young children and two women first, hoisting them safely through the rotor wash into the cabin of the hovering Mi-17V5 helicopter before securing the remaining adult males.
Critical Time Window: Defense officials coordinating the mission confirmed that minutes after the final villager was brought into the aircraft, sections of the earthen hut succumbed to the rising surge, proving that prompt tactical deployment averted an imminent tragedy.
Medical Aid and Relief Surge: Bastar Administration Mobilizes Post-Rescue Care
Following the mid-air extraction, district administrative and health machineries swung into emergency mode to assist affected flood victims:
Immediate Clinical Support: The rescued villagers were flown directly to safety and received immediate medical evaluation from rapid-response teams dispatched by the Jagdalpur Government Medical College.
Combating Hypothermia and Exposure: Dr. Abhijit Sahu of Jagdalpur Medical College stated that medical teams are actively treating multiple individuals, noting that the children contracted high fevers, persistent coughs, and early hypothermia after being drenched under torrential rains throughout the long night.
Recurring Flood Inundations: Bastar region has been grappling with intermittent flood emergencies since September, with low-lying riverside hamlets experiencing recurring flash deluges that submerge farmlands and wash away road links.
Comprehensive Administrative Surveillance: Bastar district authorities remain on high alert, continuously monitoring hourly discharge gauges along the Indravati river basin while deploying motorized disaster relief teams to deliver dry rations, potable water, and halogen tablets to downstream vulnerable pockets.
_1137447754_351x234.jpg)
_1875235102_351x234.jpg)
_1751577819_351x234.jpg)
_1247956333_351x234.jpg)