A total of 162 students were rescued on Sunday after being stranded overnight when the premises of their private residential school, at Pandarsoli village in Jharkhand’s East Singhbhum district, flooded due to heavy rain. The students and teachers spent the night on the school’s roof until the rescue operation started early morning. The incident occurred under the jurisdiction of Kowali police station in Potka block. Officials said the students were trapped in Lavkush Residential School since Saturday night as rain caused waterlogging in the low-lying campus. East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi told The Indian Express that all the children were rescued safely on Sunday morning using boats and ropes, before the arrival of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams. “Local police and divers coordinated the rescue operation promptly, and there were no injuries reported. The children are safe,” he said. Satyarthi said two-three teachers were also present on campus, but the administration’s primary concern was the safety of the minor students. With the monsoon intensifying across rural belts of the district, arrangements are now being made to move vulnerable residents, especially schoolchildren, from flood-prone areas such as Baharagora, Chakulia, Ghatshila, Dumaria and Godabandha to safer locations. “We’ve offered relocation options, and many families have already moved to government schools and community buildings that are being used as temporary shelters,” Satyarthi said. He also appealed to the public to avoid venturing into rivers or low-lying areas in the coming days, warning that the district is expected to witness moderate to heavy rainfall for at least the next four days. “Today, we also had an incident in Dumaria block, where a young boy fell into the water while taking a selfie. It took considerable effort to rescue him. So, we urge people not to take risks near flooded areas,” he said.
