Floods: Army, Navy intensify rescue efforts

Armed forces today intensified search and rescue operations using 13 helicopters and over 100 boats in flood-hit states of Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, reeling under one of the heaviest floods in the last century.

IAF has deployed 13 helicopters, including five Mi-8s and eight Chetaks, in the two southern states and already carried out 17 sorties, Defence Ministry spokesperson Sitanshu Kar said.

While, four AN-32 aircraft have carried out 13 sorties airlifting men and material provided by the National Disaster Management Authority from Pune to the affected areas, another AN-32 sortie transported relief material for the affected people in Kurnool.

Around 350 men and 50 boats are being sent to the affected districts in an IAF IL-76 from Bhuwaneshwar and another 100 men and 30 boats are being airlifted to Hyderabad from Pune, he said.

Besides, seventy personnel and 30 boats will be airlifted from Bhatinda and Delhi to the affected areas as per decisions of the NDMA, Kar said.

However, a large number of Jawans and boats have been held up in Bengaluru due to heavy rains. The Navy in Karwar and Goa have been providing relief operations in the affected areas along the West Coast of Karnataka, he said.

Meanwhile, army has deployed around 900 men along with boats, medical teams and an engineer task force. They along with 12 diving teams from the Navy are carrying out relief operations and rescued around 130 people till this afternoon.