Lucknow: Two youths stranded atop an old water tank in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar district were rescued by an Indian Air Force helicopter early Sunday after a nearly 16-hour-long operation.
An Mi-17 V5 helicopter from the Central Air Command was deployed following a request from state authorities. The aircraft reached Kanshiram Awasiy Colony at around 5:20 am and completed the rescue in about 15 minutes. The two youths were airlifted to Gorakhpur.
Senior district officials, including the District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Additional Superintendent of Police, Sub-Divisional Magistrate and Circle Officer Sadar, were present at the site. Teams from the electricity department, municipal body, district administration and the National Disaster Response Force were also deployed during the operation.
In a statement, the Indian Air Force said the youths had been stranded overnight after the ladder of the water tank was found damaged. It said the rescue mission reflected the force’s swift response and commitment to saving lives.
"The children were stranded in the night as the ladder of the water tank was damaged. The rescue mission, yet again, displays the IAF's professionalism and commitment to save lives with a swift response in times of need," said the Indian Air Force in a social media post.
Initial attempts were made by authorities to create an alternative access route for NDRF teams to reach the site. However, rainfall around 3:00 am disrupted the effort, prompting officials to seek assistance from the Air Force.
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The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon when five youths climbed the structure to shoot a social media reel around 1:00 pm. The ladder broke during the attempt, causing three of them to fall. One youth died while two others sustained injuries. The remaining two, identified as Pawan and Kallu, were left stranded on top of the tank.
The deceased has been identified as Siddharth. The injured, Shani and Golu, are undergoing treatment at Madhav Prasad Tripathi Medical College and are reported to be out of danger.
