TURA, June 21: The Indian Air force has on Tuesday successfully dropped off essential food and relief materials to dozens of stranded villagers in Maheskola village in a first of its kind relief operation conducted by air in the Garo Hills.
The entire Siju, Mahadeo, Mahesola region has been cut off from the state for the past five days after torrential rains on June 17th triggered flash floods and landslides at multiple places taking away six lives while two other victims remain missing.
As reported by HUB News on Tuesday morning, the Indian air force conducted an aerial operation from Guwahati to Shillong to lift tonnes of food material before flying into Maheskola to provide much needed relief to the hungry and exhausted villagers.
This was the second trip to Maheskola by the air force chopper after its first sortie in the morning turned unsuccessful due to bad weather. The helicopter had entered the Maheskola region in the morning with the relief materials but heavy rains and thick cloud cover forced the pilots to turn back and return to base.
The air force will conduct another similar operation on Wednesday for more affected areas of South Garo Hills that remain cut off from the rest of the state which has led to food stocks depleting.
The death toll from the flash floods and landslides remains at six casualties- 3 deaths in Baghmara, 1 death in Siju and recovery of two bodies from Rongsa Awe in Nangalbibra region. Two labourers who were washed away by flood waters in Rongsa Awe remain untraced, so far.
Meanwhile, tragedy struck the ongoing restoration work being undertaken by authorities when a man engaged in operating a JCB earth mover fell into a deep gorge and was crushed to death at Masighat, 8 kms from Baghmara, on Monday night.
The victim, Amjat P Marak (30 years) of Lotnagar, Baghmara, was assisting the driver of the JCB to clear landslides along the national highway NH 217 at Masighat at around 5 PM when the heavy machine slipped on a muddy path while making a turn plunging the vehicle into a deep gorge. The driver managed to jump off the falling vehicle and later fled fearing reprisal from villagers.
