The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Andaman tales of bravado and peril

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 05, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Andaman tales of bravado and peril

By Our Staff Reporter

From left IAF officers P. Maheshwar, B.S.K. Kumar, V.V. Bandopadhyay, T. Srinivasulu and K. Elanchezhian, who arrived from Car Nicobar at the Tambaram Air Force Station on Tuesday. — Photo : K.Manikandan

TAMBARAM, JAN.4. Their grey overalls with grime all over and their weary eyes said it all. Ten days after the killer waves wrecked havoc in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, about a dozen officers and men of the Air Force returned to the mainland today. They are here were with stories of how they helped rescuing stranded people and how their colleagues lost their lives.The officers who reached the Air Force Station at Tambaram were led by Group Captain V.V. Bandopadhyay, Station Commander of the Car Nicobar Air base. The other officers included Wing Commander P. Maheshwar, Chief Operations Officer, Wing Commander B.S.K. Kumar, Commander, Helicopter Unit, Flight Lieutenant T. Srinivasulu, Radar Control Officer, and Flying Officer K. Elanchezhian, Air Traffic Control Officer.

They had been working round the clock since December 26 and were among the last batch to be return from Car Nicobar. Capt. Bandopadhyay said that among the 1,800 officers, men and their families, almost all had been evacuated out of the Car Nicobar base, barring a few who had to look after essential operations.

Since as the aircraft were parked at the far end of the runway, they were not damaged. However, there were some cracks and damages to the runway due to the severe earthquake that preceded the tidal waves, Mr. Bandopadhyay said.

"Pilots of passenger aircraft showed exemplary skill and courage while taking off from the runway while evacuating people. As there was no power supply, we had to manage with kerosene lamps on the runway," he said.

He said helicopter unit officers had started rescue operations immediately after the waves struck the island. He praised unit for rescuing close to 400 people in the first three hours of the tsunami hit.

They had evacuated about 3,500 people - both IAF officers and families and civilians - from the Union Territory. Wing Commander Kumar said there were 10 pilots and five helicopters in his unit. "One of the pilots was killed after he was swept off by the waters," he said, adding they were able to deploy only two helicopters (MI 8) as the rest were under rectification."

As the base was located too close to the coast, the waters came far too deep into the runway. "Fortunately, the helicopters or aircraft did not suffer any damage. Water just touched the under belly of the helicopters." Tambaram ATC Officers said they too were coordinating with their colleagues in Car Nicobar round-the-clock without a break since the calamity. The Chennai Corporation officials said they had accommodated more than 3,000 people, evacuated from Andamans, at four places. Many were sent to their native places with several voluntary organisations coming forward to purchase tickets for them.

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