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Firemen save family in a car from drowning in floodwaters of the Mahanadi river [Video]

Four people escaped miraculously from a car that got swept away in the Mahanadi floodwater in Athagarh, Cuttack. The incident happened on Monday night and timely intervention from the fire department personnel helped to save all the occupants of the car after a tough rescue operation.

Three family members were in the car with the driver when they were returning from Angul district. The family twenty to offer prayers to the Puri Jagannath Temple when the vehicle got trapped in the floodwater near the Nidhipur area in Banki at around 11 PM. The driver Amulya struggled to keep control over the steering wheel as the water level rose and swept away the car.

The vehicle hit a tree and got stuck there. All four occupants in the car somehow got out of the vehicle and climbed to the top of the car. They raised an alarm by screaming and waving. Locals spotted them and informed the Athagarh fire station.

According to the fire station, they received the call at 12:05 AM. They reached the spot after 40 minutes as the connecting road was submerged in water. They reached the spot in an inflatable boat. The firemen took 40 minutes to rescue the occupants and got them on the inflatable at night.

Director General of Fire Services said that the four firemen will be facilitated for their valour. The occupants of the car said that the water level reached their knees as they stood on the roof of the car for over an hour. The video above shows locals rescuing the car in the morning.

Floods can be very dangerous

Firemen save family in a car from drowning in floodwaters of the Mahanadi river [Video]

Floodwater currents can be strong enough to sweep cars and other heavy vehicles. While we have seen many videos of strong water currents forcing vehicles to change the way, one should be extremely cautious while driving during the floods.

If you’re in a flood-prone region, make sure that you tread carefully. If you know the area, it is best to take the roads that are on a higher level. If you do not know the region, it is best to take shelter and wait for the floodwaters to clear out. The family were going through the region at night, which means that they did not get to see the way properly.

Never try to drive around an unknown place during the floods at night. The family got saved in due time because of the swift action of the firemen. Else, they could have been stuck at the same spot for a much longer time.