Pune: Firefighters Rescued 254 Residents Amid Heavy Rains and Flooding On Thursday

Pune, 26th July 2024: Heavy rains inundated Pune city late Wednesday night, leading to widespread water seepage and falling trees in various areas. The prompt response and heroic efforts of the firefighters, who swiftly evacuated residents to safety, have been highly commended. In total, the brave personnel rescued 254 people from the flooded areas till Thursday evening.

The city experienced relentless heavy rains for twelve hours, beginning Wednesday night and continuing into Thursday. This continuous downpour caused water seepage incidents in multiple parts of the city. By 5 PM on Thursday, trees had fallen in 78 locations, and water seepage had been reported in 25 areas, including the Ektanagari, Anandnagar, on Sinhagad Road. Additionally, the walls of an old house collapsed due to the heavy rains, but fortunately, no injuries were reported.

Fire department head Devendra Potfode stated that the immediate relief efforts involved 200 personnel, including 20 officers. The fire brigade’s main control centre was inundated with calls throughout Wednesday night, with control room personnel playing a crucial role in coordinating relief operations. Firefighters were dispatched to the affected areas promptly, tackling both water ingress and fallen trees.

“The phones at the fire brigade’s main control centre were ringing all night. Control room personnel played a role in relief operations. Rainy days are wartime for firefighters,” Potfode said.

In addition to the firefighters, the police were actively involved in the relief work. Several subways and bridges, including Bhide Bridge, Jayantrao Tilak Bridge, Holkar Bridge, Shantinagar Bridge, and Manjar Bridge, were closed to traffic due to flooding. The police directed traffic to alternative routes and maintained a presence at the affected sites, issuing instructions via loudspeaker in waterlogged areas.

Firefighters and police collaborated to evacuate residents to safe locations. In some areas, where roads were severely waterlogged, police worked to drain the water into nearby drainage systems, coordinating with municipal employees to restore traffic flow.