[ Prem Chetry ]

BOMDILA, 19 Jul: Three local residents stranded on a small mound in the middle of the Bichom river were rescued early Sunday after a nearly seven-hour operation at Subu village in Thrizino subdivision of West Kameng district.

According to sources, the three had gone to the river to cast fishing nets. Seeing that the water level was low, they swam across to the small island-like mound to fish. However, the river swelled suddenly, cutting off their return and leaving them stranded for several hours.

Villagers reportedly heard their cries for help at around 6 pm and alerted the authorities. Personnel from the 59th Battalion of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), stationed at Thrizino, along with local residents, rushed to the spot and launched rescue efforts.

However, the strong current made it impossible to rescue the stranded men.

Rescuers managed to pass food and other essential supplies to the trio while waiting for additional support and backup.

A team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) arrived from Bomdila at around 1 am. In a coordinated operation involving the NDRF, ITBP personnel, and local villagers, the three men were safely rescued at around 2:30 am.