Indian troops rescue 350 children trapped by flood
AHMEDABAD, India, Sunday (Reuters)
Troops in motorboats rescued around 350 children from the first floor
of their school hostel after it was surrounded by floodwaters in India's
Gujarat state, where at least 123 people have died in monsoon flooding.
Soldiers and police snatched the students from the first floor after
the ground floor of the building was submerged in Harup village, 75 km
(45 miles) south of Gujarat's main city of Ahmedabad, witnesses and
officials said.
"Our prime focus was to evacuate the children and take them to safer
places," senior Gujarat government official Rajesh Kishore told Reuters.
Most deaths in Gujarat's floods have been due to drowning,
electrocution and house collapses.
Officials said the severe week-long flooding had left more than
150,000 people homeless or stranded in their houses in the western
state. Residents complained of shortages of food, medicines and
materials to build temporary shelters.
Heavy rain and thick cloud prevented helicopters from flying ,
limiting relief operations.
"It is an aerial tsunami," Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi told
reporters in the state capital of Gandhinagar. Heavy monsoon rains have
caused rivers to burst their banks.
Authorities admitted they were being stretched to the limit.
"The real challenge is to provide food, medicine and clothes to the
needy. We are trying to reach out but bad weather has prevented us,"
Gujarat Home Minister Amit Shah said.
Further flooding is feared as heavy downpours have been forecast for
the next 48 hours.
Early on Saturday, waters receded in some areas, allowing about 400
passengers stuck in a train for over 30 hours to leave their carriages.
Many walked to higher ground but some had to be rescued by army boats
and local volunteers.
About 90 of the passengers were rescued after a man who, on receiving
a mobile phone message from his trapped wife, drove to dry land near the
train and formed a human chain of local volunteers who stood in the
water and brought women, children and older passengers to safety.
"It was my duty to help save others, besides my wife and daughter.
The authorities were not doing anything," businessman Rajesh Seth told
Reuters.
New Delhi has announced an aid package of 5 billion rupees ($115
million). But residents said more needed to be done.
"The situation here does not seem to be improving. We are helpless
and waiting for the water to recede and get back to our normal lives,"
said S.G. Thomas, whose agricultural products warehouse in Vadodara, 110
km (70 miles) southeast of Ahmedabad, was damaged by flood waters.
Hundreds of factories were shut in the western state, India's second
most industrialised, as were schools and colleges and offices.
"Water has entered my factory. To prevent any mishap, I have shut
down production till the water level comes down," said Dhiren Mehta, who
owns a textile plant in Ahmedabad.
Authorities were providing drinking water to homeless people living
in schools and makeshift relief camps on higher ground.
Flooding during the June-September monsoon rains in India -- home to
mighty rivers like the Ganges and Brahmaputra -- kills hundreds of
people every year and leaves thousands homeless. |