Bihar Flood Relief Operation: Man Dies, Woman Injured in Saran

A Bihar flood relief operation turned tragic in Saran district on Friday after a 58-year-old man died during an aerial relief effort involving an Indian Air Force (IAF) helicopter. A woman was also injured in a separate incident during the same relief operation, officials said.

The incidents occurred near a relief camp in Parshurampur village under the Amnour police station area, where residents displaced by flooding from the Gandak River have been taking shelter on embankments and other higher ground.

Man Dies During Aerial Relief Operation

The deceased was identified as Anil Kumar Singh, also known as Appu Singh, a resident of Parshurampur village.

According to police, Singh was present near an area where flood-affected residents had gathered to receive dry ration packets being dropped from an IAF helicopter.

Marhaura Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Savindra Kumar Das said that, prima facie, a relief-material packet dropped from the helicopter at around 3:30 pm allegedly struck Singh on the head.

Singh collapsed following the incident and was later declared dead.

However, authorities have not yet established that the relief packet was definitively the cause of his death. Police said the exact cause would be determined through a post-mortem examination.

His body was sent to a hospital for the autopsy, while an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death is underway.

Amnour Station House Officer (SHO) Vimlesh Kumar said there were reportedly no visible external injury marks on Singh's body.

Villagers Give Different Accounts

The circumstances surrounding Singh's death remain under investigation, with villagers reportedly giving different accounts of what happened.

Some residents said the relief packet directly struck Singh. Others suggested that he may have suffered a medical emergency when the relief material landed nearby.

Officials are examining the different accounts as part of the investigation. The post-mortem examination is expected to help determine the precise cause of death.

Authorities have also been assessing the circumstances of the aerial relief drop and the conditions under which residents were gathered to receive the supplies.

Woman Injured in Separate Incident

A woman was also injured during the same aerial relief operation.

According to police and local accounts, the helicopter was flying at a low altitude when its downdraft reportedly blew away a tin shed in the area.

The shed struck the woman on the leg, causing a minor injury. She was taken for medical treatment and was reported to be in stable condition.

The incident occurred separately from the death of Singh and was also reported as part of the relief operation in the flood-affected area.

Saran Flood Situation Remains Serious

The incidents occurred as large parts of Saran continue to face severe flooding following a rise in the Gandak River.

Floodwaters have forced thousands of residents to leave their homes and move to embankments, higher ground and relief camps.

According to officials, around 170 villages across 33 panchayats in seven blocks have been affected by the flooding, impacting approximately 3.32 lakh people.

More than 43,000 people have reportedly been moved to safer locations as authorities continue rescue and relief operations across the district.

For many residents who remain cut off by floodwaters, aerial delivery of food and other essential supplies has become an important part of the relief effort.

IAF Helicopter Used to Drop Relief Supplies

The district administration has intensified relief operations in areas where floodwaters have made road access difficult.

An IAF helicopter has been deployed to air-drop dry ration packets to people affected by the floods. The aerial operation is intended to reach residents who are stranded or unable to access relief supplies through conventional ground routes.

The helicopter operations are being carried out alongside ground-based relief efforts by disaster-response agencies.

Officials have been coordinating the distribution of food supplies and other essential materials as thousands of people remain displaced.

NDRF and SDRF Teams Continue Rescue Efforts

The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) are also continuing rescue and relief operations in the affected areas.

Ground teams are assisting people stranded by floodwaters, while authorities are working to move additional food and relief materials into affected communities.

The administration is also monitoring embankments and other vulnerable areas as the flood situation continues to affect large sections of Saran.

Investigation Underway

The death of Anil Kumar Singh has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding aerial distribution of relief supplies in densely populated flood-affected areas.

However, officials have not yet reached a final conclusion regarding the precise cause of his death.

The claim that he was fatally struck by a relief packet remains part of the preliminary account being investigated. The post-mortem examination and police investigation are expected to establish the circumstances more clearly.

The separate injury to the woman has also highlighted the risks associated with helicopter operations in areas where large numbers of displaced residents are gathered.

Relief operations are continuing across Saran as authorities work to provide food, shelter and other essential supplies to people affected by the floods.