Bhubaneswar: Severe flooding triggered by heavy downpours across parts of Odisha has prompted a series of high-stakes rescue operations, with response teams from the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), the Fire Services Department, and local administrative officials working under challenging conditions to save people stranded by rising waters.
In Koraput district’s heavily affected Kotpad block, rapid surging water levels isolated nearly 25 villages, leaving residents trapped for days without immediate relief. Among the most dramatic rescues was an operation in Turi village, where three pipe-laying construction workers became marooned on the upper floors of a three-storey building after floodwaters completely encircled the structure. Stranded for four straight days without basic provisions, the workers were eventually saved when an ODRAF deployment team navigated 40 minutes through treacherous currents on motorised inflatable boats. Utilising specialised ropes and scaling ladders, rescue personnel safely lowered the men from the building’s upper floors. One worker, who fell ill due to prolonged exposure and lack of food, was immediately admitted to a local healthcare facility, while officials confirmed all three are now stable and receiving medical care.
In a parallel operation across the same block, an elderly resident was rescued using motorised boats after enduring four days stranded inside his submerged home. A joint operational crew comprising four ODRAF boat personnel and eight administrative officers worked continuously to navigate strong currents, moving vulnerable villagers, women, children, and livestock to safety.
Meanwhile, a harrowing survival story unfolded in Ganjam district, highlighting the personal peril caused by the sudden deluge. Prakash Chandra Sahu, a 65-year-old resident of Ghandara village in the Asika area, was swept away by fierce currents on Friday while fishing in the swollen Ghodahada River. Unable to swim back to shore against the powerful flow, Sahu managed to grab onto a tree branch standing amidst the turbulent waters. Clinging tightly to the branch, he endured nearly 10 hours of continuous exposure, cold, and exhaustion throughout the night as water swirled around him. Although an initial night search by the Hinjili fire services team yielded no results, nearby locals spotted Sahu clinging to the tree at first light on Saturday. Villagers quickly launched a coordinated rescue, pulling him onto dry land before rushing him to the Hinjilicut Sub-Divisional Hospital. Due to his critical condition following the ordeal, he was subsequently shifted to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital in Berhampur.