The Indian Air Force (IAF) on Sunday evacuated 42 stranded people from the cut-off EAC Headquarters in Namsang Circle, Longleng district, as rescue operations entered their fourth consecutive day amid continuing monsoon disruptions.
According to the Nagaland State Disaster Management Authority (NSDMA), two IAF helicopters deployed from Air Force Station Mohanbari in Dibrugarh, Assam, carried out the evacuation. The first helicopter airlifted 20 passengers, while the second evacuated 22, with both sorties landing safely at Dimapur Airport.
Those evacuated included elderly persons, women, children and students who had returned to Namsang during the summer vacation but became stranded after monsoon-triggered damage disrupted road connectivity to the area.
The IAF has been conducting aerial rescue operations in Namsang since July 23 at the request of the NSDMA to support relief efforts in the disaster-affected region.
While evacuation efforts continued on Sunday, the airlifting of about 4.5 metric tonnes of essential relief materials to Namsang could not be carried out because of adverse weather conditions. The NSDMA said both evacuation and relief operations will continue, subject to favourable weather and operational feasibility.
The authority said it is closely monitoring the situation in coordination with the Longleng district administration, the Indian Air Force and other responding agencies to ensure timely rescue and relief for affected residents.
The NSDMA also acknowledged the support of the Indian Air Force, Airports Authority of India, Dimapur Airport, district administrations and other agencies involved in the ongoing humanitarian response.