NDRF rescues over 90 in cyclone-hit Sri Lanka
New Delhi (PTI): National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rescuers have saved more than 90 people affected by landslides or floods in Sri Lanka that has been hit by the devastating Cyclone Ditwah, officials said on Tuesday.
India had sent two teams of the federal contingency force, comprising 80 personnel and four dogs, as part of Operation Sagar Bandhu to initiate relief-and-rescue measures in the affected areas of its southern maritime neighbour.
"The NDRF rescuers are deployed in landslide- and flood-affected areas of Kaduwela, Badulla and Puttalam. The teams have rescued a total of 64 people, evacuated 28 and retrieved a body till early Tuesday," an official told PTI.
The teams are assisted by Sri Lankan security forces and administration officials and they have also distributed about 800 food packets among 1,070 locals, the officials said.
The force has retrieved a body from Badulla from under five feet of debris, they added.
The NDRF personnel have also rescued a nine-month pregnant woman from Puttalam.
There are four women rescuers in the 80-member NDRF team and they have been tasked with specifically assisting local women, the officials said.
The Disaster Management Centre (DMC) based in Colombo has confirmed at least 410 deaths and 336 people missing till Tuesday morning in the catastrophic floods and landslides caused by extreme weather conditions since November 16.
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SIT formed to probe second sexual assault case against expelled Cong MLA Mamkootathil
Thiruvananthapuram (PTI): A Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been constituted to probe a second case of sexual assault against expelled Congress MLA Rahul Mamkootathil, police officials said on Friday.
The SIT will be led by G Poonguzhali, Assistant Inspector General at the Police Headquarters.
The team also includes a DSP rank officer and sub-inspectors, officials added.
The second sexual assault complaint was received by the Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee, which it forwarded to the state police chief.
ALSO READ: Cong expels rape-accused MLA Mamkootathil from party's primary membership
Following this, the Crime Branch registered a case and launched an investigation.
Crime Branch officials said the email complaint contained only the sender's email ID and no other contact details.
As part of the probe, they have sent a reply email requesting that the complainant contact them and provide her statement.
The complainant has alleged that she was sexually assaulted under the false promise of marriage, a Crime Branch official said.
However, details such as the location and date of the alleged incident are not currently available to the police.
The SIT will attempt to trace the sender of the email and record her statement, which is crucial for further investigation, the officer said.
Mamkootathil was expelled from the Congress party on Thursday after a court here rejected his anticipatory bail petition in another rape case.
Police said he is currently absconding, and a manhunt is underway in Kerala and neighbouring states.
