Stone Labourers Save Nearly 1,000 People from Dikhow Floods Before Official Rescue Teams Arrive

NAZIRA, July 26, 2026 — Long before official rescue teams reached several flood-hit villages in Nazira, a group of stone-carrying labourers risked their lives to rescue nearly 1,000 people trapped by the overflowing Dikhow River.

The floods struck on July 19 after the Dikhow breached its banks, inundating vast areas of Nazira Co-District and leaving thousands stranded. With many villages cut off and rescue teams yet to reach them, the labourers emerged as the first responders.

The rescuers have been identified as Shravan Prasad Majhi, Lohit Das, Bablu Garh, Ravi Kumar Rajbhar, Rajkumar Rajbhar, Bajrangi Rajbhar and Bhart Tanti.

Using small country boats and makeshift rafts fashioned from banana tree trunks, the team repeatedly crossed fast-flowing floodwaters to evacuate stranded residents.

According to local residents, the labourers worked relentlessly during the peak of the disaster, with each rescue trip reportedly bringing 100 to 200 people to safety. They also rescued livestock, including cows and goats, shifting them to higher ground.

Residents said the labourers' swift intervention prevented a much larger tragedy at a time when hundreds of families were marooned without immediate assistance.

The rescue effort has drawn widespread appreciation across Nazira, with community leaders and local residents urging the state government and district administration to formally recognise and honour the labourers for their extraordinary courage and service.

As relief operations continue across the flood-ravaged region, the actions of these labourers have emerged as one of the most compelling stories of courage and humanity from the Dikhow flood disaster.