November 08, 2001

'33'

FIRST LIGHT CAS-EVAC OPS BY IAF HELICOPTERS

    The helicopter fleet under Western Air Command launched first light casualty evacuation (Cas-Evac) operations to rescue persons injured and trapped in the snowfall and landslide in Himachal Pradesh this morning. This operation was in response to request for help by the State Government administration at Keylong late last evening.

    According to preliminary reports received by the local administration ten civil vehicles were stuck across the Rohtang pass, 20 kms short of Keylong. Eyewitness reported two dead, 5 to 6 seriously injured and thirty-five people trapped at the site. One Mi-17 IV, captained by Wg Cdr GS Pannu was launched at 0753hrs early this morning from Buntur, despite adverse weather and terrain conditions, to the site for cas-evac operations.

    The helicopter after a search along the Rohtang pass, found six vehicles stranded in snow at Batal, short of Kunjum La. Following a track in the snow, about six kms ahead, in an abandoned guesthouse, the crew spotted some movement and landed nearby. There were 16 men and one child huddled up and frost bitten. All of them were safely evacuated to Buntur in Kullu and handed over to the civil administration for medical treatment. The entire cas-evac operation was completed in four hours.