The Indian Air Force (IAF) rescued seven persons stranded at Chandrataal Lake in Barashingri Glacier at an elevation of nearly 4300 metres in Himachal Pradesh. Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu took to Twitter to thank the IAF for providing help in relief and rescue missions in the state in the aftermath of the devastating rain and floods. The rescue operation was particularly challenging given that there was no landing area at the glacier and the terrain was uneven with loose snow. To ensure that the chopper wheels don't sink, the rescue was carried out with one wheel touching the snow and the remaining two suspended in the air. I would like to express my gratitude for the efforts of the @IAF_MCC in this ongoing rescue and relief operation. They demonstrated exceptional skill by rescuing seven individuals who were ill from Chandra Taal lake, despite the extreme and challenging conditions. Large-scale… — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 13, 2023 As per details given by IAF officials, a requisition for casualty evacuation was received by HQ Western Air Command (WAC) on July 11 for the rescue of stranded personnel from various locations in Himachal Pradesh. One Mi-17 V5 helicopter was launched and the aircraft landed at Bhuntar Airfield near Kullu at 11:40 am. As per IAF, the first priority was of casualty evacuation of seven critical persons stranded at Chandrataal Lake in Barashingri Glacier. The evacuation was carried out at 17:30 hours on the same day. The rescued personnel were received by the Chief Minister at Bhuntar. The Himachal CM tweeted that since Sangla Valley is inaccessible, a joint team of the Army and ITBP is being deployed via chopper to support the administration and police in rescue and assistance operations. "Around 27 tourists have been rescued till today in two sorties,” he said. “I would like to express my gratitude for the efforts of the @IAF_MCC in this ongoing rescue and relief operation. I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Jagat Negi, Hon'ble Minister, and @SanjayAwasthy, Hon'ble CPS, as well as our frontline workers and staff who are working tirelessly, even this time at night, to restore the road at Kunzum Pass under extreme conditions at -10°C and… pic.twitter.com/ImE9ys3z0V — Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu (@SukhuSukhvinder) July 12, 2023 They demonstrated exceptional skill by rescuing seven individuals who were ill from Chandra Taal lake, despite the extreme and challenging conditions. Large-scale air evacuation was not possible at Chandra Taal due to slushy conditions and unavailability of helipad. Furthermore, the Indian Air Force had offered to deploy a CH-47 Chinook Helicopter to assist in the transportation of excavators and heavy machinery,” the CM tweeted. The evacuation of tourists from Sangla to Karcham is also currently underway. IAF has also deployed two Medium Lift Helicopters (MLH) for flood relief operations at Ambala. The helicopters have so far dropped around 2000 kg of relief material comprising water bottles, ration, and tarpaulin sheets in the villages of Niharsa and Allaudin Majra.
