162 students rescued after night trapped on rooftop of flooded Jharkhand school

Jamshedpur: At least 162 students were successfully rescued on Sunday after becoming trapped overnight at a residential school inundated by heavy rainfall, police confirmed. 

The students of Lav Kush Residential School had been stranded since Saturday night when relentless downpours caused severe flooding across the school premises. As water levels rose, staff moved the children to the rooftop, where they spent the night in safety.

“We received information that 162 students were trapped due to the flooding,” said Rishabha Garg, Superintendent of Police (Rural), speaking to PTI. “Since the school building was submerged, teachers took swift action to shift all the students to the roof.”

Emergency services, including the police and fire brigade, were alerted at around 5.30 am on Sunday. Rescue teams, with help from local villagers, used boats to evacuate the children one by one.

Although the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was called in, the students were rescued before the team could arrive, Garg added.

The children are reported to be safe. Authorities have not yet confirmed whether the school suffered structural damage. Further assessments are expected once floodwaters recede.