Stranded for 10 days, Indian Air Force comes to rescue of 97 from Himachal Pradesh's Chamba & Kilar

This real-life air evacuation mission had all the ingredients of a Hollywood potboiler.

Indian Air Force pulled off a daredevil mission cruising through an inaccessible high altitude area to rescue 45 medical personnel and 52 school students aged between nine to 10 years, who were stranded for the last 10 days in two different locations in Himachal Pradesh.

Battling inaccessible valley with limited landing facilities, IAF pilots embarked on a mission which tested their nerves and capabilities in adverse conditions. Living to their image, IAF did not disappoint and successfully pulled out the stranded people from the inhospitable terrain.

From creating air bridges to using small helipad for landing, IAF pilots used their expertise to operate with limited facilities to evacuate the people in distress.

On September 18 Air Force Station, Udhampur was tasked to carry out Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief (HADR) mission in Himachal Pradesh, close to Chamba and Kilar valley.

"Two aircraft were launched from Air Force Station, Udhampur immediately and they had a tiring task of landing at a small helipad at Chamba that could accommodate only single aircraft. On reaching, the aircrew realized that there were 52 school children aged 9-10 years stranded at Chamba town for the past 10 days. The children were from a school at Kilar and were to be airlifted back to Kilar," said Colonel Rajesh Kalia, officiating defence spokesman at Northern Command Headquarters.

Additionally, 45 medical personnel were found stranded at Kilar at an elevation of more than 9,500 feet. "There is a highly treacherous ridge (Kund) between Chamba, which is at an elevation of more than 3000 feet and Kilar at an elevation of more than 9500 feet. Both the aircraft established an air bridge between Kilar and Chamba, crossing a pass more than 15,000 feet," said Colonel Kalia.

Airbridge, Colonel Kalia said, is a term generally used in aviation to signify routes and means of delivery material from one place to another by an airlift.

"It is a kind of a link by air transport between two places separated by inhospitable/ unreachable terrain. More than 35 children and 25 adults were rescued till sunset of September 27. Additionally, on September 28, 26 medical personnel were rescued from Kilar to Chamba and 24 children from Chamba to Kilar," he said.

Meanwhile, the Indian army has launched a major rescue mission to evacuate the foreign and Indian tourists who have been left stranded after landslides and snowslides hit the strategic Leh - Manali road.

A highly specialised and trained Avalanche Panther Rescue Team of Ladakh Scouts has been inducted into the affected area for rescue and relief operations. The second Avalanche Rescue Team is also being inducted shortly. One Medical Officer and one Signals Officer have been inducted to Patsio for providing medical assistance and communication arrangements to the stranded civilians. In addition, medical stores, oxygen cylinders, supplies and rations have been airlifted by Army Aviation into the affected areas.

Colonel Kalia said till date 124 civilians, including 31 Bhutanese Nationals, 38 Nepalese Nationals and rest Indian tourists have been evacuated from Bharatpur to Sarchu and provided medical aid, shelter, warm clothing and hot meals.

"In addition, 22 civilians including two Australian Nationals present near Sarchu were rescued and provided medical aid. A vehicle cum foot patrol launched from Patsio to Suraj Tal evacuated 95 civilians and brought them to Patsio. They have been provided immediate medical aid, shelter and warm clothing. Army detachments are also clearing the road wherever civilian vehicles have been stuck," he said.