As many as 12 railway staff stuck amid heavy rain and landslips at Yedakumari railway station in the Western Ghats were rescued by officers of Sakleshpur taluk administration on Friday.
The railway staff were stuck at the station for the past two days as there was no way to come out. Trains on the route have been cancelled owing to landslips. South Western Railway officials had appealed to Hassan district administration to rescue them.
Two teams of policemen — led by Yeslur police sub-inspector Dayanand and Assistant Commissioner, Sakleshpur sub-division, G. Lakshmikanth Reddy — rescued them.
Officials could reach Kaginahare village by four-wheelers, and from there they had to trek for about 6 km. “We left Sakleshpur by 6 a.m. and reached Kaginahare by 7.30 a.m. From there, we started to trek in the hilly terrain, amid heavy rain. We could reach Yedakumari station with the help of local people, who showed us the way, by 10 a.m.,” Mr. Reddy told The Hindu. Yedakumari station master Gopal and his staff returned to Sakleshpur along with the officers. “All of them look healthy. However, we have kept a medical team ready for a check-up,,” Mr. Reddy said.
The staff posted at Yadakumari have got quarters at the station. They carry food material from Sakleshpur and cook their food. As there were no trains for the last four days, they had difficulty in getting essentials. Besides that, they were witness to terrifying incidents of landslips all around the station. However, the possibility of airlifting them with the help of helicopters was difficult because of the inclement weather and hilly terrain.
“I was worried about the safety of my staff as well. I’m glad all of them returned safely,” Superintendent of Police R.K. Shahapurwad told The Hindu.
Sakleshpur tahsildar Girish Nandan, officers of the Forest Department, and residents of Kaginahare and neighbouring villages took part in the rescue operation.