24 rescued from flood-hit village in Bhadrak

Bhubaneswar: A team of Odisha Disaster Response Force rescued at least 24 individuals trapped in a village in Bhadrak district, which was flooded after cyclone Dana triggered heavy rainfall, causing several rivers to swell, officials said Sunday.

The rescue operation was carried out on Saturday night by personnel of the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF) at Tala Gopabindha village under Tihidi police station area. The trapped people, including children, women and senior citizens, were rescued with the help of motor boats and taken to a cyclone shelter, an official statement said. They were left stranded as the village was flooded due to rising waters of the swollen Salandi river, it said. Satyajit Naik, DIG (Eastern Range), monitored the rescue operation. “The State’s preparedness and response to natural disasters have once again saved lives and mitigated the impact of the swollen Salandi river,” the statement added. Cyclone Dana struck the eastern coast early on Friday, triggering torrential rain and high-speed winds.