Four picnickers were rescued early on Friday after being stranded on an island at the confluence of two rivers in Madhya Pradesh’s Khandwa district due to a sudden rise in water levels, officials said.
The group had visited the Handikundi area, where the Sukta and Avana rivers meet, around 20 kilometres from the district headquarters, for a picnic on Thursday.
Officials said heavy rainfall caused the water level of the rivers to rise suddenly, leaving Huzefa Hamid (40), Mayank alias Gopal (16), Ali Asgar (35) and Ayush (18) trapped on the island.
After receiving information from the police control room at around 6.15 pm on Thursday, a State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF) team reached the spot and began rescue efforts.
An official said an initial attempt was made to tow a motorboat to the island using safety ropes, but the strong current made the operation extremely risky.
Prioritising the safety of the rescue team and the stranded individuals, SDERF personnel waited for the water level to recede while exploring alternative rescue methods.
Officials said life jackets, food and drinking water were delivered to the island using drones, providing essential support until the rescue operation could proceed. The stranded people remained in constant contact with rescuers through mobile phones.
Once the water level partially decreased, a motorboat was guided to the island with the help of safety ropes despite the strong current. All four picnickers were safely rescued at around 4.45 am on Friday after an operation lasting nearly 11 hours.
(With inputs from PTI)
