All the stranded passengers at Srivaikuntam near Thoothukudi in southern Tamil Nadu were rescued on Tuesday, said Southern Railways. Around 809 passengers were stranded near Srivaikuntam railway station due to the heavy rainfall that caused flooding. On Tuesday, around 509 passengers were evacuated from the railway station and were taken by buses to Vanchi Maniyacchi Railway station. They were then brought to Chennai by a special train.
According to ANI, Southern Railway said the special train rolled out of Vanchi Maniyachi to Chennai Egmore rescuing stranded passengers from Srivaikuntam with medical and catering teams on board.
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"The remaining 30 passengers are also being evacuated with the help of RPF and they will be moved by road to Maniyachhi Station," a Southern Railway release said.
As soon as a mishap was averted, the initial team to arrive at Srivaikuntam station was the Railway staff of Madurai Division. On December 18, a Rapid Action Force (RPF) team from Tirunelveli, along with two commercial supervisors, swiftly made their way to Srivaikuntam, overcoming challenging water currents using various modes of transport. Toward the end of their journey, they waded through chest-high floodwaters, covering a distance of about 3 kilometers. Despite the difficult conditions, they distributed water and other essential food items to stranded passengers, instilling a sense of hope for rescue.