Shimla: In a swift humanitarian operation, the Indian Air Force (IAF) carried out an emergency airlift to evacuate an 85-year-old paralysed woman from a remote village in Himachal Pradesh after heavy snowfall cut off road access.
The rescue was conducted from Dhanderwari village, situated at an altitude of around 9,000 feet above mean sea level, where continuous snowfall had rendered all surface routes impassable. Braving challenging weather conditions and poor visibility, an IAF Cheetah helicopter was deployed to transport the patient to Chandigarh for advanced medical care.
The IAF confirmed that the woman received timely treatment and is now in stable condition. Sharing details of the mission on social media platform X, the Air Force also released a video showing personnel carefully carrying the woman on a stretcher through falling snow before loading her onto the helicopter.
The operation came amid fresh snowfall and rainfall across several parts of Himachal Pradesh on Sunday. Areas such as Shillaroo in Shimla district and Kothi in Kullu district recorded about 5 cm of snow, while Kufri saw around 4 cm. Light snowfall was also reported from Gondhla village in Lahaul and Spiti, Khadrala in Shimla, Sangla in Kinnaur and Kalpa, further affecting normal life in the hill state.
Authorities have advised residents and travellers to remain cautious as weather conditions continue to pose challenges in higher reaches of Himachal Pradesh.
