Armed Police Rescue 347 Citizens in Three Months

Kathmandu. The Armed Police Force Nepal's diver and disaster management team has rescued 347 citizens safely in disasters and accidents in the three months from Baisakh to Ashad end.

According to the Armed Police, in the said period, 86 people were rescued alive from 211 incidents of drowning and being swept away in rivers, lakes, and streams, while the bodies of 122 deceased were recovered. Similarly, 239 people at risk of floods, inundation, and erosion have been relocated to safe places.

Six people were immediately rescued alive from road accidents across the country, and 807 injured were sent to the hospital for treatment. 12 people caught in windstorms and 4 people caught in landslides in hilly areas were rescued alive. The Armed Police have stated that they have controlled fires in 226 places across the country and have also rescued 4 people from the fires.

In 31 complex water disaster incidents, the diver team rescued 3 people alive and recovered the bodies of 14 people.

For disaster risk reduction, the Armed Police have conducted awareness classes in 464 schools and 541 clubs and community levels. Along with these classes attended by 47,681 people, 129 mock disaster drills were also conducted for preparedness.

Similarly, 1,084 citizens, including 353 women and 731 men, have been trained as disaster volunteers through 40 training programs conducted to prepare skilled manpower at the community level.

According to Armed Police Force spokesperson Armed Police Deputy Inspector General Netra Bahadur Karki, special orientation training on disaster management has been provided to 28,281 employees across the country. He informed that 8,180 personnel have been kept on standby 24 hours a day, ready to be mobilized at any time.

To reduce rescue time during disasters, temporary monsoon response teams have been deployed at 54 locations across the country, and disaster management bases have been established in 16 high-risk areas. 134 divers have been deployed with equipment in 11 locations.

For rescue, 82 raft boats, 53 motorboats, 8 'mass casualty vehicles', 8 'A' class ambulances, 10 IRT vehicles, and 13 heavy equipment for road clearance have been kept ready. 28 disaster relief system containers have also been placed in various locations in 13 districts.

The Armed Police have urged citizens affected by disasters to contact their toll-free number 1114 for immediate rescue and assistance. It has also been informed that rescue and relief assistance can be obtained by contacting the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority's toll-free number 1234.