Kerala floods: Here are some means of transport that played a major role in rescue operations

Off-road SUVs and giant trucks' service were crucial in carrying-out the road-based evacuations through the muddy roads of the hilly districts while Chetak and Sea King choppers did the aerial job.

Stranded people being evacuated and shifted to relief camps in Taurus, Tata Tippers at Thottumugham near Aluva (Photo | EPS/Melton Antony)

The great calamity Kerala faced changed the opinions over some of the most hated vehicles on road. Adventurers and speed-enthusiasts who were previously slammed for their irresponsible driving habits have overnight become superheroes. Mini lorries cursed for the hand in on-road kills are being hailed as lifesavers.

Here are a few brutally-powered road machines and Navy aircraft contributions of which made evictions easier in isolated places even under the catastrophic climate.

Off-road - adventure cars

Kerala flood relief management is inviting volunteers who own off-road capable vehicles so as to get to locations that are difficult to reach. Tata 4X4 Safari, Mahindra Thar, Force Gurkha, Mitsubishi Pajero, modified Tata Gypsies and Isuzus ran riot across the muddy and mountainous tracks of the hilly districts of Idukki, Wayanad and Pathanamthitta.

An off-road SUV during rescue ops (Facebook/Sam Kurian Kalarickal)

Torrential rains and landslides had made the already difficult terrains of these districts impossible to manoeuvre for ordinary vehicles. Many daredevils and adventure clubs answered the call of the government to volunteer and offer service of their vehicles, successfully moving many lives to safety.

Truck

Tipper: Notorious for its terrible life-claiming record on Kerala roads, Tata's Tipper trucks (locally called Tipper Lorries) were used indifferently in almost all flood-hit areas.

Tata Tipper loaded with people in Thrissur (Photo | AP)

Its elevated body design was helpful in reaching places where people were stranded. Even four-feet of water on a well-paved road didn't affect the visibility of the drivers. These trucks were also instrumental in transporting the fishing boats from different harbours across the state to the location of rescue operations.

Navy Helicopters
Sea King 518: As large a small bus, the Sea Kings were originally designed by UK-based GKN Westland for Anti-Submarine Missions (ASM), but today it forms the backbone of the Indian Naval Search and Rescue operations.

YouTube screengrab of SeaKing in action in Kerala

With a maximum payload of 3628 kilograms, they can carry up to 22 survivors at a speed of 208km/h. The double Rolls-Royce 1400-1T turbofan engined chopper was extensively used in the rescue missions at Chengannur and Ernakulam.

ALH Chetak: Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) made Advanced Light Helicopter which flies at an average speed of 290km/h was used in areas of Ernakulam and Pathanamthitta districts and managed to save close to 200 lives within a day of deployment.