Indian Air Force Launches Massive Rescue Operation in Landslide-Ravaged Kotmale, Sri Lanka; Evacuates 45 Stranded, Including Indians and Foreign Nationals
In a swift and daring humanitarian mission, the Indian Air Force (IAF), in close coordination with Sri Lankan authorities, carried out intensive rescue and evacuation operations on Saturday in the landslide-devastated Kotmale region of central Sri Lanka, an area that remains completely cut off from the outside world due to massive road blockages and continued bad weather.
Throughout the day, IAF Mi-17 V5 and Chetak helicopters, operating from multiple forward bases, executed multiple high-risk sorties into the isolated zone. By evening, the IAF had successfully evacuated 400 stranded individuals, including six critically injured patients and four infants. The rescued comprised 12 Indian nationals, a significant number of foreign tourists from several countries, and Sri Lankan citizens trapped since the catastrophic landslides struck earlier this week.
All evacuees were airlifted directly to Colombo, where they received immediate medical attention and shelter. The six critical casualties were rushed to leading hospitals in the capital for specialised treatment.
Simultaneously, to bolster ground relief and road-clearance efforts, IAF helicopters airlifted 57 Sri Lankan Army personnel along with heavy equipment and essential supplies into the affected area, enabling faster restoration of connectivity and sustained rescue operations.
In a parallel operation focused on Indian citizens, the IAF inducted a specialised Bhishm Arogya Maitri capsule – a portable, self-contained field hospital capsule – along with a dedicated medical team to provide on-site emergency care. Till 8 p.m. today, more than 300 Indian nationals who had been stranded across various parts of Sri Lanka following the disaster were safely repatriated to India through multiple evacuation flights and sorties.
Defence sources confirmed that additional IAF aircraft, including C-17 Globemaster III and IL-76 heavy-lift transports, have been kept on standby at Indian bases for rapid deployment of further relief material and personnel. More helicopter sorties into Kotmale and other affected pockets are scheduled for Sunday morning, depending on weather clearance.
The Ministry of External Affairs thanked the Sri Lankan government for seamless coordination, while the Sri Lankan President’s office issued a statement expressing “profound gratitude to India and the Indian Air Force for their swift, selfless and professional response at a time of national crisis.”
This operation marks yet another chapter in India’s tradition of extending immediate disaster relief to neighbours under Operation Karuna and the “Neighbourhood First” policy, having previously conducted similar large-scale evacuations and relief missions in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Maldives and other countries in recent years.
As rescue efforts continue into the night with night-vision capable helicopters, the IAF remains fully committed to saving every possible life in the tragedy-struck region.
