The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) on Thursday carried out a challenging helicopter rescue operation in flood-ravaged Odisha, airlifting six stranded people, including women, children and an elderly person, from an inundated public health centre as the aftermath of Cyclone Arnab continued to disrupt normal life across parts of the state.
Responding to an emergency request from the Ganjam district administration, an ALH Mk-III helicopter operating from Coast Guard Air Enclave, Bhubaneswar, was scrambled despite adverse weather conditions to reach the flooded Public Health Centre at Jagmohan.
The helicopter crew located the marooned civilians amid widespread flooding and carried out a precision winching operation from above the partially submerged facility before safely transporting them to the Community Health Centre at Dharakote.
The rescue came as the Coast Guard placed its air and surface assets on heightened operational alert along the eastern seaboard for search-and-rescue and humanitarian assistance missions in the wake of Cyclone Arnab.
The operation unfolded as several parts of Odisha’s Gajapati district continued to battle flood-like conditions caused by intense rainfall. Rising waters in the Mahendratanaya river basin inundated villages, agricultural fields and low-lying areas, leaving residents stranded and disrupting road connectivity.
Officials described the evacuation as one of the key rescue missions undertaken on Thursday as authorities raced to respond to emergencies triggered by the cyclone’s aftermath.
Although Arnab has weakened into a depression over Chhattisgarh and adjoining Odisha, authorities remain on alert as heavy rainfall and flooding continue to affect several districts.
