Bhubaneswar: Odisha government sent a team of fire services to the south Kerala for rescue and relief operations.
A special team of Odisha Fire Services department comprising of 240 personnel along with 75 power boats left for Kerala this Saturday morning to rescue the people stranded and suffering in floods.
The Fire services DG BK Sharma flagged off the team.
“On request of the Centre, Odisha government is sending a team of fire personnel to Kerala for rescue operations in floods. The team consisting of 240 personnel along with 75 power boats is ready to fly to Kerala in a special aircraft,” Sharma said.
“This is certainly a matter of pride for fire services department. Earlier, Odisha fire personnel had done tremendous job during Cyclone Hudhud in coastal Andhra Pradesh. As the state fire personnel have been selected for assisting in rescue operations in Kerala, today we also hope that our fire personnel will play a crucial role in flood operations in Kerala,” he added.
Earlier August 16, the state government led by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik had announced Rs 5 crore as financial assistance for Kerala flood victims.
The heavy rain continued to lash Kerala claiming 180 lives so far.
Reports said that over 3 lakh people were forced to move to 2,000 relief camps. The rain subsided Saturday morning resulting in the water level in Idukki and parts of Ernakulam and Thrissur districts coming down.
PNN
