Army Para Commandos Lead Search Operation for Missing 5-member Family in Dikhow River

Our Bureau

JOYSAGAR/GAURISAGAR: The State government has swung into action for the search and rescue operation of the five-member family of Haren Bora who went missing after their Maruti Swift Dzire car plunged into the Dikhow River at Dichial village of Dikhowmukh area in Sivasagar district on Saturday evening. Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has spoken to the Prime Minister’s office and the Union Home Ministry regarding the search and rescue operation of the missing family. Sonowal has also taken up the matter with National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) and the Union Defence Ministry for help from the Indian Navy. The State government is taking all possible steps to recover the vehicle and the missing persons.

Meanwhile, two boats of Inland Water Transport (IWT) have been kept on standby. Though the search and rescue operation started from Sunday morning, the search teams are yet to strike success because of the strong undercurrent in Dikhow River which is on a spate with muddy water blocking vision under water. Divers are going as deep as 40 feet in some areas. Total 10 boats have been pressed into service.

Three teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), six teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF); one each from Dibrugarh and Sivasagar and two teams each from Jorhat and Golaghat have been pressed into the search and rescue operation, apart from one team from the Para-Commando of the Indian Army. A total of 32 deep divers are engaged in the rescue operation. These divers include eight from the NDRF, four each from Dibrugarh and Jorhat SDRF, three each from Sivasagar and Golaghat SDRF and 10 divers from the Para-Commando of the Indian Army.

A total of 100 rescue personnel are engaged in the search and rescue operation, including 44 from NDRF, seven from Dibrugarh SDRF, 12 from Sivasagar SDRF, 10 from Jorhat SDRF, eight from Golaghat SDRF, 14 personnel from the Para Commando and five from Civil Defence. A team of eight Indian Navy divers with equipment will be joining soon. The Indian Navy team will arrive in Jorhat in a special defence aircraft. The Navy team is on the way to Sivasagar from Vizag in Andhra Pradesh.