Army troops today rescued 33 villagers, including women and children, trapped in flash floods at Samba district.
On receiving information from district administration about the flood, Army flood relief columns rushed to the area and launched the operation to rescue several villagers from Ramgarh area of Samba district which was flooded due to rising water levels of Basantar river, causing extensive damage to crops and properties yesterday, a defence spokesman said.
Due to incessant rains yesterday, the level of water in Basantar river rapidly increased to 16-18 feet along the anti- flood bund at Kamore village of Vijaypur Block of Samba district, resulting in sudden overflow of water along a 290- metre patch of the recently re-constructed bund by the irrigation department, he said.
"The overflow damaged the anti-flood bund at Kamore, creating a breach flooding the neighbouring villages of Kamore and Rangor with many villagers encircled by the rapidly rising water level," the spokesman said, adding that the situation was threatening to become worse due to continuous rain in the upper reaches.
Sensing the danger, the Brigade Commander instantly carried out aerial survey of the flood-affected areas and on request from the civil administration, immediately positioned four flood relief columns from Pakhri, Bari Brahmana, Ramgarh and Satwari(Jammu) to evacuate the affected villagers, he said.
"In a swift and timely action, the Army columns reached Rangor village along with flood relief equipment and evacuated a total of 33 villagers, including women and children, to safer places," the spokesman said.
