Fire dept rescues over 1,600 across six flood-hit districts

With the efforts of all the officers and staff of Telangana State Fire & Disaster Response Services, and district administration, no life was lost in the district during torrential rains in the last two days, stated the Fire department. Responding to a viral video of a man who claimed that the Fire department Director General Y Nagi Reddy did not respond in a flood affected area, the department clarified that the department has rescued over 1,600 flood-affected victims in six affected districts in the state.

In a clarification, the fire department said that over the past 48 hours, six districts — Kamareddy, Medak, Nizamabad, Nirmal, Rajanna Siricilla, and Siddipet have witnessed severe flooding caused by extremely heavy rains. The swelling of rivers, streams, and irrigation tanks, coupled with backwaters from projects and breaches of tanks, led to the inundation of low-lying areas, agricultural fields, and residential colonies. Road and bridge connectivity were also severely disrupted, hampering immediate access to the affected areas.

According to Telangana Fire and Disaster Response Department, in this challenging situation, the department has deployed its maximum available resources to safeguard lives and property. The department rescued 1,646 flood-affected victims including – farmers, shepherds, students, residents, officials, children, elderly persons, pregnant women, and livestock in 31 major operations across the six districts.

“The Fire personnel braved extreme conditions, including darkness and heavy floodwaters, to reach stranded victims. Notably, the rescue team continued operations late into the night on Wednesday up to 11:30 pm at GR Colony and surrounding areas of Kamareddy town, where flood levels were particularly high,” said Nagi Reddy.

He said, “I express my pride and appreciation for the courage, dedication, and selfless service of our fire personnel, who risked their lives to protect the citizens of Telangana.” During operations, some Light Rescue Vehicles and Inflatable Rubber Boats sustained partial damages, while certain equipment including life buoys and life jackets were completely damaged. “In Kamareddy town, two firemen were momentarily washed away along with their rescue vehicle but survived owing to their professional training and swift response,” said the fire director. Nagi Reddy said, “I personally visited GR Colony, Housing Board Colony, and nearby flood-affected areas in Kamareddy town to oversee the operations. All rescue activities in these colonies were successfully concluded by Thursday noon. Importantly, no lives were lost in these colonies due to the combined efforts of the Fire Department and District Administration.”

It has come to notice that an individual has attempted to misrepresent the efforts of the Fire Department after operations had already been completed. The person, who was located on the first floor of an apartment building in Kamareddy, refused evacuation when fire crews reached him at 11:30 – 11:45 pm on Wednesday, despite the risks involved. At the same time, three of his neighbors were rescued by our personnel.”

The person was engaged in continuous calls to senior officers, disrupting ongoing priority-based rescue efforts, as reported by RFO Sudhakar, the officer in charge of operations at Kamareddy.

“We request the public to cooperate with rescue teams during such emergencies and to extend full support by following instructions of the personnel on the ground. False or misleading claims can undermine the morale of frontline staff and distract resources from genuine life-saving operations,” said Nagi Reddy.