IAF rescues 119 train passengers stranded in flood due to heavy rain in Assam
A Silchar-Guwahati train was left stranded in Cachar as heavy rain-induced flood blocked the railway line.
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Guwahati, May 16: In a major rescue operation, the Indian Air Force has airlifted 119 passengers of the Silchar-Guwahati Express after the train was left stranded due to heavy rain.
Notably, the Silchar-Guwahati train was stranded in the Cachar area. Due to flood water, the train was unable to move either forward or backward. After the train was stranded for several hours, the district administration, with the help of the Indian Air Force, rescued 119 people.
"#IAF helicopters evacuated 119 passengers from Ditokchera railway station in Assam, today. Located in the Dima Hasao district, the railway station had a train stranded for over 24 hrs due to incessant rains making rail movement infeasible," IAF tweeted.
Around 25,000 people across six districts of Assam have been affected by the first wave of floods in the state this year. Assam State Disaster Management Authority informed that "Till now, a total of 24,681 people of 94 villages in six districts - Cachar, Dhemaji, Hojai, Karbi Anglong West, Nagaon and Kamrup (Metro) have been affected due to floods."
The Army, para-military forces, SDRF, Fire and Emergency Services are carrying out rescue and relief operations in flood-hit areas of the state. Several roads, bridges, and irrigation canals were damaged in Hojai, Lakhimpur and Nagaon districts, the official said.
