An NDRF officer rescued a sick child by sprinting across a bridge moments before it got submerged in gushing flood waters in rain-ravaged Kerala, with an image of his daring act going viral on the social media.
The National Disaster Response Force team member, later identified as Kanhaiya Kumar, saw a man with a child asking for help from the other side of the narrow Cheruthoni Bridge near the Idukki Dam in the district, which was opened last week after a gap of 26 years.
He responded in a flash, ran across, grabbed the child and rushed back, unmindful of his safety.
"I realised that I can help by taking the child to nearest hospital in a safer place for 1st-aid& I did exactly that," Kumar told ANI.
A photograph of Kumar snapped while scurrying across the bridge with the child two days ago, has gone viral on the social media with netizens showering praise on him.
"As the waters were rising, I saw a man waving asking for help with a young child from the other side of the bridge. I crossed the bridge, grabbed the girl child and sprinted back as soon as I could to the other side," he said later.
The NDRF also rescued a man, two women and three children who had got stranded in the Kabini river at Orapally village of Waynad district.
"Passionate concern for all needy. Be it humans or animals," the NDRF tweeted posting pictures of its personnel rescuing some people and a dog.
Around 14 NDRF teams, comprising 100 members, ten columns of Army, besides personnel and helicopters from the Air Force and Navy are engaged in rescue and relief operations in different parts of the state.
Kerala has been hit by unprecedented floods with almost all the 40-odd rivers in spate following heavy rains since last week.
As the Cheruthoni bridge was the lifeline of the local people on the two banks of the Cheruthoni River, they have been put to great difficulty now as they have to take a detour of at least 15 km to reach the other side.
Meanwhile, a Defence release said the Army personnel restored connectivity to Virinjapara under Mankulam panchayat near Munnar in the district after a concrete bridge was washed away in floods, bringing relief to 800 families of the area.
Army personel from Pangode military station at Thiruvananthapuram and the Madras regiment were also involved in the reconstruction of a road damaged at Kochukodakallu- Machiplavu area in Idukki, it said.
They also distributed food and medicines at a camp at Adimali in Idukki, the release added.
(With inputs from ANI, PTI)
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