SHIMLA: The Army rescued four people, including one injured, after flash floods hit parts of Himachal Pradesh, an official statement issued on Thursday said.
The flash floods triggered by a cloudburst hit the higher reaches of Rishi Dogri valley in Kinnaur district on Wednesday evening and the bridge across the Sutlej river was inundated.
The site was an active road construction zone under CPWD towards Gangthang Bralam, the Army said.
On receiving an urgent request from the superintendent of police, Kinnaur, the Army immediately mobilised a Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) column.
Braving darkness, fast currents and unstable terrain, the team reached the location and discovered four civilians stranded on the far bank of the river, the statement said.
Working with precision under challenging conditions, the HADR team illuminated the general area to aid night rescue operations and guided the stranded civilians to higher and safer places.
The team also evacuated the injured individual and admitted him to Regional Hospital, Reckong Peo, it said.
The Army said new generation equipment, including the Logistics Drone High Altitude (LDHA) system, was used to ferry essential items, such as eatables and coconut water, across the floodwaters to help sustain the stranded individuals through the night. It said the rescued civilians were taken to the Army camp in Pooh.
Plans are in place to bring the stranded individuals back to the home bank once the water recedes.