Indian Air Force airlifted two seriously ill patients from Leh to Chandigarh for treatment.
Officials said an Indian Air Force transport aircraft airlifted two critically ill patients from Leh to Chandigarh for treatment.
He said that while one patient was a victim of a road accident, the other patient was facing heart-related problems.
The Indian Air Force further said that its “quick planning and implementation” with the local civil administration helped save the lives of two people.
“Responding to an urgent request for evacuation of casualties, an An-32 transport aircraft of #IAF airlifted two critically ill patients from Leh to Chandigarh for treatment. Facing mild weather, the IAF and local civilians The quick planning and implementation by the administration was instrumental in saving the lives of two people, one who was a victim of a road accident and the other was facing cardiac problems, the IAF said in a post on `X`.
Earlier on Saturday, the Indian Air Force (IAF) deployed its personnel and Mi-17 helicopters in fire-fighting operations in the mountains around Nainital, where the forest fire was raging.
Meanwhile, operations to extinguish forest fires in Uttarakhand with the help of Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopters continued for the second day on Sunday and the fire was brought under control in many areas, officials said.
According to PTI report, the forest department in its daily bulletin said there were eight fresh incidents of forest fire in the state in the last 24 hours, in which 11.75 hectare area was burnt to ashes, while 23 such incidents were reported from Friday evening to Saturday evening. An area of 34.175 hectares has been damaged.
The bulletin said that since November 1, 2023, 606 forest fires have been recorded so far in Uttarakhand, in which 735.815 hectares of forest land has been burnt.
According to PTI report, Kumaon Chief Conservator of Forests Prasanna Kumar Patro said that no major fire broke out in the forests in the last 24 hours.
According to PTI report, Patro said, there are fires at two to three places in Kumaon region, Nainital district and one place each in Champawat, Almora, Pithoragarh and Bageshwar.
He said that with the help of the Air Force helicopter deployed on Saturday, the forest fire in Ladiyakata and Pines area on Nainital-Bhowali road has been extinguished.
After a forest fire in Nainital on Friday reached dangerously close to the High Court Colony and an air force base housing sensitive equipment, an Indian Air Force helicopter was brought in to help extinguish the flames, PTI reported.
Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, after reviewing the situation in Kumaon region on Saturday night, said that the forest fire in Nainital and surrounding areas is gradually being controlled after the deployment of Indian Air Force helicopter on Saturday morning.
According to PTI report, Patro said that efforts to extinguish the fire at other places are underway and they will be brought under control soon.
He attributed the recent increase in forest fire incidents in Kumaon to increased dryness due to heat in low-lying areas of Champawat and Nainital districts of Uttarakhand bordering Nepal.
(With inputs from PTI and ANI)