Army, IAF airlift pregnant woman in critical condition in Kishtwar

Jammu: Braving heavy snowfall, the Army and the Indian Air Force on Thursday airlifted a pregnant woman in critical condition from a hamlet in Jammu and Kashmir's Kishtwar.

Responding to a distress call, Army troops rushed to the village in remote Nawapachi area and carried the woman on a stretcher through snowfields, officials said.

The IAF flew a MI chopper to Nawapanchi and airlifted the woman, who was transported to the district hospital in Kishtwar for specialised treatment, they said.

"Indian Army in close coordination with the Indian Air Force evacuated a pregnant lady in critical condition from a remote winter isolated Nawapachi area of Kishtwar district to Kishtwar town where the lady is being treated at district hospital," Defence Spokesperson Lt Col Devender Anand said.

The people of Nawapanchi expressed gratitude towards the Army and the IAF and some of them also raised slogans praising the two forces.

Lt Col Anand said the Army has been making efforts to reduce the hardships faced by people in the area that has harsh weather and extremely difficult living conditions especially during winters when it gets cut off from the rest of the district due to closure of roads.

"Indian Army has always been rendering life-saving humanitarian assistance to people apart from conducting counter-terrorist operations in the region," he said.