Bengal: Elderly Woman Miraculously Rescued 45 Km Downstream After Being Swept Away By Damodar River

In what locals described as a miraculous escape, a 65-year-old woman who was swept away by the swollen Damodar River amid heavy rains and water discharge from the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) was rescued alive nearly 45 km downstream, police said on Monday.

Police said, "The incident took place at Jakta village in Burdwan's Rayna area. The woman, identified as Maturi Tudu (65), had gone to bathe in Damodar river alone on Sunday afternoon. However, due to strong currents following DVC's water release and rains, she was swept away."

With the combined efforts of police and villagers, she was rescued 45-50 km downstream and was taken to Jamalpur Rural Hospital, where doctors said she had fallen ill after being in the water for a prolonged period, police added.

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Later, she was shifted to Burdwan Medical College and Hospital for further treatment. "I went to bathe in the river when suddenly the current increased, and I was swept away. I somehow managed to hold onto something until villagers rescued me," Tudu said.

Jamalpur Block Trinamool Congress president Mehemud Khan said, "The elderly woman was admitted to hospital and later handed over to her family after police confirmed her identity. She survived purely by luck." Police later escorted Tudu safely back to her home in Rayna.

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(Exept for the headline, the story has not been edited by The Daily Jagran. Credit: PTI)