Rescue teams, police save 48 lives in and around Tirupati

Tirupati: Urban district police rescue teams including Rakshak and special party saved about 48 lives of people who were stuck in the floodwater between Thursday afternoon and Friday evening.

Immediately after receiving the information from the public seeking help, the teams along with staff of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to different places and shifted the stranded persons to safer places.

Speaking to The Hans India, SP Venkata Appala Naidu said police teams along with NDRF reached the place and rescued about 48 persons from floods.

Particularly at Vasundara Nagar in Tiruchanur on Thursday night, about 25 people belonging to different families were stranded due to flash floods of Swarnamukhi river where the flow level suddenly increased with the lifting of three gates of Kalyani dam.

Unaware of the sudden increase in the water level of the river, members of different families were stranded as floodwater entered into their homes. They contacted police by dialling '100' at about 11.30 pm seeking their help.

Sensing the seriousness, the SP travelled about 50 km to reach the place via Renigunta, Vadamalapeta and Kayamapeta along with rescue team as the Tiruchanur road was damaged.

At Vasundaranagar, members of the rope party along with NDRF rescued 25 persons and shifted them to safer place. The people who were rescued thanked the SP and his team immensely for timely help.

"Our teams and personnel of different police stations remained vigilant on flood situation at different places and bridges, and carried out rescue measures to prevent loss of lives," the SP said.

The NDRF and other rescue teams remained vigilant and were carrying out rescue measures in flood-hit areas, he added.