Gauchar: Even as the multiple agencies continued the relief and rescue operation in flood-ravaged Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna on Wednesday declared a day of mourning as a mark of respect to those killed in the IAF chopper crash yesterday.
The Chief Minister, while expressing grief over the chopper tragedy, announced Rs 10 lakh each for the families of the personnel who died in Tuesday's chopper crash. Bahuguna also promised free education to their children if they wish to study in Uttarakhand.
The five IAF personnel who died in the crash are Wing Commander Darryl Castelino, Flight Lieutenant K Praveen, Junior Warrant Officer AK Singh, Sargent Sudhakar Yadav and Flight Lieutenant Tapan Kapoor.
The Indian Air Force (IAF), defence and paramilitary personnel today resumed their rescue mission with focus now shifting to Joshimath, Badrinath and Harsil where over 5,000 people still need help.
According to reports, an estimated 4000 people are still stranded at Badrinath where there is no road connectivity due to recent landslides.
Nearly 1000 people need to be evacuated in Harsil. The security personnel involved in the rescue mission aim to airlift all those stranded in these two towns to safer places so that they can be given proper medical care, food and water.
Earlier this morning, IAF Chief NAK Browne arrived in Gauchar and said that his officials will not rest till the last stranded person is evacuated safely in the flood-hit Uttarakhand.
In his brief address to the media shortly upon his arrival here, the IAF Chief said, “Our rotors won’t stop churning. We will not rest till the last stranded person is rescued in the flood-devastated Uttarakhand.”
The IAF Chief also confirmed that the dead bodies all 19 people onboard the Mi-17 helicopter, which crashed while returning from a rescue mission near Gaurikund yesterday, have been recovered.
Browne also told the reporters that the cockpit voice recorder of the ill-fated chopper has also been recovered and the data stored in it will be analysed to determine the cause of the crash.
The IAF Chief also lauded the efforts put in by the personnel of the armed forces, paramilitary, the ITBP, NDRF and multiple other agencies in rescuing more and more people since the state was hit by torrential rains and landslides.
“I salute my boys and all other agencies involved in the relief and rescue operation here. The morale of my staff is extremely high and we will continue our mission till the last person is rescued safely.” he said.’
The IAF Chief further informed that two more IAF helicopters have been dispatched to bring more people stranded in Badrinath and Harsil.
The IAF Chief will visit the chopper crash site in a short while and review the relief and rescue operation being conducted there. The IAF Chief’s visit has come as a major morale booster for the Air Force staff who have been braving the unfavourable weather to save more and more lives.
The Air Force last night said that its officers will continue the rescue operation despite an IAF helicopter crash near Gaurikund that killed at least 20 people.
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