Gujarat floods: IAF rescues pregnant woman, new-born twins with mother

Ahmedabad: The Indian Air Force on Sunday safely evacuated a woman and her new-born twins and another pregnant woman from Nana Matra village in Vinchia tehsil of Rajkot district of Gujarat which was flooded due to heavy rains.

The village had been cut off from rest of the district due to the floods.

As soon as a message about need to evacuate two women who were in critical condition and 'about to deliver' was received at 4.30 pm, a Chetak helicopter was sent from Jamnagar, said Defence spokesperson Abhishek Matiman in a release.

While the helicopter was on its way, district officials informed that one of the women had already delivered twins and needed to be airlifted immediately.

"By 1715 hrs the Chetak was already overhead looking for a safe patch to land. The mother, with her new-born twins and an attendant were instantaneously put into the aircraft and flown out to safety....The aircraft landed at Jasdan helipad where they were handed over to the medical team already waiting," it said.

The helicopter then returned to Nana Matra, this time picking up the other pregnant woman who was bleeding profusely. She was flown across the river where a medical team was waiting with an ambulance, it said.

Incessant rains have been lashing Gujarat for the last two days.