162 students rescued from submerged school in Jharkhand
What's the story
At least 162 students were rescued from a private residential school in Jharkhand's East Singhbhum district on Sunday. The Lav Kush Residential School, located at Pandarsoli on the Haldipokhar-Kowali Road, was inundated due to heavy rainfall since Saturday night. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Rishabha Garg said that teachers shifted the students to the rooftop, where they spent the night as floodwaters submerged the building. Garg said police officers and fire brigade teams were alerted around 5:30am on Sunday.
School closure
Boats were used for the rescue operation
Boats were used for the rescue operation, and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was requisitioned. However, the police team managed to rescue all students before the NDRF's arrival. Kowali police station Officer-in-Charge Dhananjay Paswan said that "the single-story residential school building was completely submerged due to rain." He added that "the school has been closed till further notice."
Post-rescue arrangements
Local students sent home
Paswan said local students were sent home while the district administration was arranging transportation for others to their respective homes in Dumaria, Ghatshila, Musabani, and Jamshedpur. Meanwhile, East Singhbhum and Seraikela-Kharsawan districts sounded an alert due to a possible sudden rise in water levels of rivers Kharkhai and Subarnarekha. East Singhbhum Deputy Commissioner Karn Satyarthi urged residents near these rivers to stay alert and follow administrative advisories.
Emergency preparedness
Seraikela-Kharsawan DC Nitish Kumar Singh's instructions
Seraikela-Kharsawan Deputy Commissioner Nitish Kumar Singh asked district executives to stay on high alert for any emergencies. He also directed officials to identify sensitive areas near rivers and alert residents through public address systems. The district civil surgeon was asked to ensure health centers are prepared with mobile medical units and ambulances for any emergencies.