NONGSTOIN: A joint team of Nongstoin police and Fire and Emergency Service personnel rescued as many as seven people, including a one-year-old baby, from drowning after they were stranded in the middle of River Porjalem (Phot Kynthei) here on Sunday.
S. Nongrem, station officer of Nongstoin Fire and Emergency Service, told media persons here that the victims were rescued after Nongstoin police informed that five persons were stranded on a boulder in the middle of the river at Porjalem. After rescuing the victims, the team noticed two more persons crying for from a small patch of land. The emergency service swung into action once again to bring the duo to safety.
The seven persons have been identified as Twistiful Shangdiar (38), Tiewlili Shangdiar (18), Phran Thongni (22), Kolondar Thongni (26) and the baby from Siejlieh village in Nongstoin, and Firstmonrose Lyngdoh (20) and Kyrpang Myrthong (23) of Dilingiem village.
The victims had gone to wash clothes in the river when there was a sudden rise in the water level. “We thank all the members of the rescue team for saving our lives,” said Twistiful.
Talking about the manpower crisis faced by the Fire and Emergency Service in the area and poor infrastructure, Nongrem said, “During emergencies, we have to risk our lives to ensure safety of the public,” he said and added that the office has only two life jackets.
