Over 5,200 people rescued by NDRF in Jammu and Kashmir, death toll over 160
17 teams of NDRF with 118 boats have been deployed
Srinagar/Jammu: Over 5,200 people have been rescued till now by an NDRF team of 700 taking part in relief and rescue operations in flood-hit Jammu and Kashmir.
The central control room of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) in Delhi said a total of 17 teams of the force with 118 boats have been deployed in the affected areas.
"So far, NDRF teams engaged in rescue and relief work have evacuated more than 5,246 victims, 5,223 from Kashmir region and 23 from Jammu. Besides, thirteen bodies were also recovered by NDRF in Jammu region. The operations are still on," the government said.
The rescue and evacuation operation by the NDRF has entered the fourth day and 17 teams of NDRF comprising more than 700 rescuers and life saving equipment are working relentlessly in adverse conditions to provide immediate relief to the victims.
Two Deputy Inspectors General (DIG) and as many Commandants are also present at the location to supervise the on-going rescue operation, it said.
Navy commandos too, on Monday, joined the massive rescue operations being carried out by the Army, Air Force and NDRF in flooded parts of Kashmir Valley, rescuing around 200 stranded people on the Srinagar-Sopore Highway.
Deployed for the first time to carry out rescue efforts in the flood-hit state, Naval marine commandos have rescued people caught in floodwaters at Haigaon on the Srinagar-Sopore Highway, an Army official said.
"Rescue efforts are now continuing near Pantha Chowk, Srinagar," he said.
Naval diving teams are also on standby at New Delhi, Mumbai and Vishakhapatnam for the rescue efforts. A medical team is standby at Delhi for immediate deployment.
The Army and IAF have, meanwhile, extended rescue and relief operation to South Kashmir Helicopters have airlifted four boats and a medical team to Anantnag district in South Kashmir, a Defence Spokesman said.
The weather being clear, a number of helicopters have been pressed into action to transport rescue and relief material to isolated areas of South Kashmir, he said.
Relief camps have also been set up at Avantipur and Anantnag to help the flood-hit people, the spokesman said.
Heavy floods have wreaked havoc in Jammu and Kashmir, leaving nearly 150 people dead.