NDRF evacuates 6 stranded persons across swollen river in Himachal

Shimla, July 10 In one of the toughest and courageous operations, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has safely evacuated six people stranded across the swollen Beas river in Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district amidst torrential rain.

The 14th Battalion of the NDRF came to rescue of civilians trapped in Nagwain in Aut tehsil across the river in an operation that lasted till Sunday midnight, an official told IANS.

The NDRF, despite the road network to the incident site blocked at several places owing to landslides, reached late in the evening and worked for all possibilities and made the impossible possible, said the official.

The NDRF conducted the operation with the help of an anchored rope, harness and hydra crane safely rescued all six stranded people who have been identified as Ajay Sharma, Arun Sharma, Manish Sharma, Anuj, Vishnu and Roshan Lal.

Most of them belong to Jammu.

Elsewhere, all 29 people stuck at the Aaloo ground in Manali were rescued by a Home Guards team.

They have reached the other end and are safe, Additional Director General of Police Abhishek Trivedi tweeted.

The Meteorological Centre in Shimla forecast moderate to high flashflood risk over few watersheds and neighbourhood of Chamba, Kullu, Shimla, Sirmaur, Solan and Mandi districts.

Surface runoff and inundation may occur at some fully saturated watersheds and low-lying areas due to expected persistent rainfall in next 24 hours, it added.