A photo of Kanhaiya Kumar from Bihar running across a sinking bridge in Kerala to save a child has gone viral on social media platforms. The NDRF constable is now widely being hailed as a hero.
Sharing his experience, Kumar from Bihar, told NDTV, “I saw two people with a child waving at us for help. There was a big crowd there. Some local MLA and ministers too were present. Using my six years of experience with the NDRF, I ran quickly to the other side of the bridge and brought the child. I didn’t know the family but knew they were in desperate need. The man, who I don’t know if he was the child’s father, told me that the child was not well and his condition was serious.”
Kumar said that it was raining when he ran to save the girl child adding that he borrowed the family’s umbrella to protect the girl from being wet and ran desperately before the bridge could collapse.
The bridge, which was sinking due to the gushing force of the river water, collapsed minutes later.
Kumar is trained in deep-diving and belongs to the fourth batallion of NDRF at Arakkonam in Tamil Nadu and has been part of several disaster rescue and relief operations across India, including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh.
“My team and I are very proud of Kanhaiya. It’s not just for himself. He has brought appreciation not just for himself, but entire NDRF,” NDRV sub-inspector Mahavir Singh was quoted as saying.
The video of Kumar’s heroic efforts, first captured by News18 and Malayala Manorama, has now gone viral on social media. The incident took place on Friday in Idukki district, where for the first time, all five shutters of a dam of Idukki reservoir were opened few days ago.
As many as 37 people have died so far in the recent flooding caused by heavy rains in Kerala.
