Odisha man rescued after five days clinging to palm tree in floods

Sunanda Behera, a resident of Balipatana village in Odisha’s Bhadrak district, was rescued after spending five days clinging to a palm tree in floodwaters. Behera had been swept away by the surging Pochara River.

Villagers traveling by boat spotted Behera in the Bajapati field area and alerted the Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force (ODRAF). Rescuers extracted him from the water in an extremely weak and exhausted state. Having survived five days without food, Behera was hospitalized in serious condition.

In broader relief efforts, IG UK Dash of the Odisha Fire & Emergency Service reported that approximately 1,000 people and 150 domestic animals have been rescued from floodwaters. Around 125 firefighting teams are currently conducting rescue and relief operations across six flood-affected districts.