JAMMU: In a daring rescue operation, the Border Security Force (BSF) deployed a helicopter to evacuate 45 civilians, including women and children, stranded in a flooded village in the Akhnoor sector on Wednesday, officials said.
The high-risk mission was launched after efforts by the police, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) to move the marooned residents of Fathu Kotli village in Garkhal area were thwarted by the rising Chenab River, which is currently several feet above its 42-foot evacuation level, officials added.
Senior police and civil officers rushed to the site early Wednesday morning after receiving reports that floodwaters had entered the village, leaving 45 people trapped. After multiple attempts to contact the stranded residents, the civil administration requested BSF assistance.
Responding promptly, the BSF conducted three helicopter sorties, successfully airlifting all 45 civilians to safety despite ongoing heavy rains, officials said.
