Tuesday, June 14, 2011

An angler rescued from rising Teesta by Sikkim fire services

Gangtok, June 13 (PTI) An angler was stranded on a rock in the middle of swirling Teesta, following a sudden swell in its water, at Singtam in East Sikkim for over an hour after being rescued by fire services personnel.Police sources said Kumar Bardewa, a resident of Singtam, had waded in waters to clamber on the rock for fishing but with a sudden surge in water level got stranded.The surge was possibly caused by a large water release from NHPC Stage-V reservoir at Dikchu with high siltation deposited in the reservoir.With the river rising every minute, locals from Singtam Bazaar in East Skkim informed the local Fire Station as the fire services personnel managed to rescue the man with the help of ropes.

"The man was saved in the nick of time as the rock on which he was standing was submerged by the silt-laden waters of Teesta just as he was being pulled away from it," Deputy Chief Fire Officer Prakash Rai, who is also incharge of Gangtok, Rangpo and Singtam fire stations, said."The operation was a big success and the fire rescue team deserves all credit," Rai added.

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