BHUBANESHWAR: In a daring night-time rescue operation using just one torchlight, a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) saved the lives of 10 fishermen after their boat capsized in a river in Jagatsinghpur district of Odisha on Tuesday as Cyclone Yaas moved towards the state’s coast to make landfall. Inspector general of police (operations) Amitabh Thakur, who was deputed in the district, said it was very difficult to conduct the rescue operation at night. “One of the fishermen had called up Erasama block development officer (BDO) Kailash Behera, who informed us about the boat capsize. An NDRF team with their inflatable boat rushed to their rescue. The BDO’s torchlight was the only ray of hope during the operation,” Thakur said. Sources said defying the administration’s warning, the 10 fishermen had gone into the sea for fishing on Tuesday morning. “Appreciate the quick response from the team of @NDRFHQ and Erasama BDO to rescue10 people from a capsized boat, during a courageous night time rescue operation,” chief minister Naveen Patnaik tweeted on Wednesday.On the eve of the cyclone’s landfall, the NDRF, the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF), the fire services and state police personnel evacuated thousands of people, including senior citizens and children from high-impact regions to safety on Tuesday.
As boat capsizes, NDRF saves 10 with just a torch
