With one Indian Air Force (IAF) chopper being grounded due to mechanical fault and other likely to be diverted to Uttarakhand for rescue operations, the State Government faces an uphill task to evacuate 500 stranded people in Kinnaur, including 40 foreign nationals.
On Saturday, only 29 people were evacuated from Kinnaur as the State-owned Pawan Hans helicopter could not take up full load due to variation in air pressure and managed to make only two sorties. Such is the situation that the State Government had requested the Central Government to send some more IAF choppers to evacuate over 500 stranded people.
After the incessant rains and flash floods, the Central Government had sent two IAF choppers to the State. Till Saturday evening, 831 people had been evacuated from Kinnaur and other flood affected areas of the state.
“Since the window of clear weather in hills is very limited especially in this period, more number of helicopters from IAF is
required to clear the tourists who are awaiting the flights for over a week,” said a senior official engaged in evacuation process.
With roads being damaged at several places, helicopter evacuation is the only way out for the tourists stranded in Kinnaur which was at the peak of its tourist season, when the rain and flash flood struck it from June 15 to June 17.
Among the 40 foreign nationals include tourists from France, Germany and Israel who have been on trekking visiting high altitude scenic places of the district. Meanwhile, a small army chopper was pressed into service to trace the missing people including shepherds and trekkers in the forests and on high altitude reaches.