The Indian Coast Guard (ICG) has rescued six people, including two women, two children and an elderly person, from a flood-inundated public health centre in Odisha’s Ganjam district amid the impact of Cyclone Arnab.
Responding swiftly to a distress call from the Ganjam District Administration on the morning of October 29, the Coast Guard Air Enclave in Bhubaneswar scrambled an Advanced Light Helicopter (ALH) Mk-III to carry out the rescue operation despite severe weather conditions.
The aircrew located the heavily inundated Public Health Centre (PHC) at Jagmohan, where six people had become stranded as floodwaters surged in the aftermath of the storm. Executing a precision hover over the submerged facility, the helicopter crew successfully winched all six individuals to safety.
The rescued persons were subsequently airlifted and safely transferred to the Community Health Centre (CHC) at Dharakote for further assistance.
As Cyclone Arnab continues to affect India’s eastern coast, the Indian Coast Guard’s Regional Headquarters (North East) has placed its air and surface assets on high alert to support Search and Rescue (SAR) operations and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) missions.
Coast Guard aviation assets remain on standby for round-the-clock aerial surveillance, emergency evacuations and the delivery of essential relief supplies to communities cut off by flooding and adverse weather.
The successful operation highlights the Indian Coast Guard’s readiness to respond to emergencies and its critical role in protecting lives during severe weather events and natural disasters.
