Chapter 178 The Sinking of Metropolis

Chapter 178 The Sinking of Metropolis

A deafening rumble broke into Gu Ji's ears.

Everyone looked through the windows and saw six military-green large passenger planes passing over their heads in the gloomy sky. They were the IL-76s and C-17s that the Central Cabinet had previously provided to Assam for troop transport. Heavy transport aircraft.

Fatima pursed her lips excitedly.

"Vidi, are these the support sent by the Central Cabinet?"

"Yes, the boat troop should have arrived!"

Gu Ji raised his wrist and looked at the time. More than three hours had passed since he arrived in Calcutta. But for the Indian disaster response force, it was very fast to be able to assemble and arrive at the target point in such a short period of time. .

He looked down at the water on the ground.

After a day and night of continuous heavy rainfall, the depth of water accumulation in some areas of the city has already exceeded one meter. Don’t forget, this is India’s third-largest international metropolis, not remote and backward areas like Guwahati and Dispur. The main reason is that Kolkata is too low-lying and many places were once wetlands.

Although the accumulated water will affect the speed of the car, it greatly facilitates the movement of the boat troops.

Don’t forget, in Assam, 400 boats successfully transferred tens of thousands of people on trains.

"Fatima, you should immediately ask Ranat to transfer all the disaster response forces to the North District and cooperate with passenger transportation and river transportation. Maybe we can complete the transfer plan before the dam breaks!"

"Okay, I'll contact you right away!"

As Fatima took out her phone and prepared to report, the convoy of military vehicles also drove to the slums of the North District.

Although Gu Ji had seen the slums in movies before, he was still shocked by the scene in front of him.

Looking around, you can see a large number of shabby houses made of rusty iron sheets standing next to each other with only 6 inches apart. They are in sharp contrast to the high-rise buildings in the city center. Most of these houses are divided into two floors, with a rough middle. Separated by wooden boards, the height of both the ground floor and the attic is less than 1.5 meters. Occasionally, one or two brick houses can be seen.

There are almost no public health facilities in the slums. Most residents have no drainage systems or toilets in their homes. The piles of garbage are washed away by heavy rains and float on the stagnant water. They are colorfully gathered into a whole layer, making the already narrow and crowded streets exude an odor. Strong rancid smell.

The slum area in the northern district is only one-third, but it is home to nearly 4 million people, which is equivalent to a quarter of Calcutta's population gathered here.

What is the concept?

A place the size of an ordinary bedroom was packed with 10 to 12 people, and you could bump into someone almost every time you walked.

But even so, there are still factories, schools, and hospitals built in the slums. Although they are small, they have all the internal organs, especially the largest number of temples, because for these poor Indians, the three gods of Hinduism are the only ones in their miserable lives. Faith and hope.

"Let me go first!"

"Stop squeezing! I can't breathe!"

"Let my son get in the car first! Please, he can't walk alone!"

"Dear police chief, here is 100 rupees. Please let me and my children get on the bus first. I will definitely be grateful for your help and sing praises to you in front of the Shiva statue every day!"

…

At the intersection of the main street in the slum area, tens of thousands of poor people are crowded here, competing for the three transfer buses arranged by the government. In theory, these vehicles are only provided to the old, weak, sick and disabled, and all young and middle-aged people are provided according to the command. They move on foot according to the planned safe zone route, and will not pull them until there is an empty car on the road.

However, it is at least a dozen kilometers to walk from the North District to the Central District, not to mention that the water on the ground has reached up to the thighs. Walking is very energy-consuming, and as time goes by, the risk of flooding will be greater. Want to reach the safe zone earlier.

That's why many young people also crowded into the bus, and some wanted to bribe the police.

"Bitch, don't squeeze in with me, go grab other vehicles!"

"Why are you arguing and pushing me!"

"Damn bitch! Get out of here..."

During the quarrel, a couple suddenly moved their hands. The man accidentally hit someone else, which suddenly caused a commotion among the people. The policeman responsible for maintaining order drew his electric baton and shouted at them while rushing towards the riot.

But what he never expected was that just as he was leaving the vicinity of the transfer bus, several sharp-eyed young people took the opportunity to rush into the bus.

"Get in the car quickly!"

"Bar in bar in!"

"ah!"

Someone took the lead, and the team suddenly fell into chaos. It was like an ant nest that exploded. Everyone crowded in. The bus suddenly couldn't bear such fierce competition and was pushed left and right by the crowd. Akira, in less than three seconds, the car was filled with people, and even the driver was pressed against the steering wheel.

Some refugees who refused to give up simply leaned against the car windows, and some stepped on the tires and rolled onto the roof of the car.

Gu Ji saw this scene and quickly asked Marlowe to fire another warning shot.

The commotion gradually subsided when gunshots were heard.

"Everyone, listen to me. You must abide by the notices and orders of the municipal authorities and maintain good order. Now the support of the boat troop sent by the central cabinet has arrived. Everyone will be safely transported to the safe area. But if the chaos continues, only It will be a waste of time, and we can’t help even if we want to!”

"Doctor! Doctor! Come and save people!"

While Gu Ji was using a loudspeaker to maintain order, a cry for help came from the crowd on the west side.

Many people were attracted by the sound and saw a middle-aged Indian uncle wearing a purple T-shirt being carried by an anxious-looking teenager. Visible to the naked eye, the Indian uncle had a finger-thick steel bar stuck in his back. , blood trickled out along the torn wounds, dyeing the clothes deep purple, which was quickly diluted by the heavy rain.

Gu Ji glanced around and didn't see any first responders wearing white coats or reflective rescue vests.

"Where have the medical staff gone?"

"Mr. Commissioner, the medical staff have just been transferred to the hospital to transport critically ill patients. Now there is no one available!"

"Then there should be at least one left! Fatima, contact the headquarters and continue to send more medical personnel to the North District!"

Gu Ji glared, but the government employee didn't show any shame or apology. Instead, he rolled his eyes, as if he didn't care about the lives of these refugees at all.

That's right, flood disaster is coming.

As a government official, not only did he not get the chance to escape to a safe zone, but he had to risk his life to evacuate and transfer refugees in the most dangerous northern district. Some complaints are normal.

"Come two people with me!"

Gu Ji said hello, then opened the car door and jumped into the water from the roof, "Be careful, there is too much garbage in the water, especially discarded syringe needles and glass products, which may scratch the skin and cause infection!"

The environment in the slums was so bad that he was worried about whether the refugees would be cross-infected if they soaked in garbage water.

The three of them crowded around the uncle in purple clothes.

Gu Ji took a rough look at the wound and concluded that he slipped and fell, and was hit in the back by the steel bar in the water. He may have also injured his lungs. He is now completely in a coma, with a pale face and purple lips. It's a sign of excessive blood loss. "He needs emergency treatment right away. Come get a military vehicle and take him to the nearest hospital!"

He couldn't handle such a deep puncture wound for a while.

"Give me the man! Be careful, don't touch the steel bars!"

"Please, please save my father!"

"Do not worry!"

While Gu Ji comforted the young man, he stretched out one hand to wrap the arms of the purple-clothed uncle around his neck, and grabbed his knees with the other hand. The two hands worked together to carry the wounded man on his shoulders. This kind of transportation The method he learned in the Xiangzhou battlefield first aid course is called the breaking method, which is generally used to transport unconscious wounded people.

The Indian soldier should have also been trained in relevant first aid knowledge. When he carried the uncle in purple, the two people immediately went around to the back and held their head, neck and legs with both hands to ensure that the overall center of gravity was centered to prevent Gu Ji from walking. Fall due to loss of balance.

have to say.

Gu Ji's serious and responsible attitude actually won the hearts of many refugees from the slums, and some of them chose to get off the bus.

As soon as the military vehicle pulled the unconscious uncle in purple away, his ears moved with the pupa, and he vaguely heard the low sound of water waves, and even the water under his feet swayed back and forth.

"Could it be that the flood is coming?"

"Oh my God! Everyone, run!"

"Spread out! The flood is coming!!"

"Don't mess up! This is not a flood. We have technicians monitoring the status of the Hooghly River dam. Don't panic, Marlow, control the scene immediately!"

Seeing that repeated persuasion was useless, Gu Jijiang suppressed the fierce light in his eyes and carried him out of the army.

Unexpectedly, Ma Luo just commanded the army column to get out of the car to maintain order. The next moment, Fatima stood up from the car with excitement, shaking her arms desperately, "It's not a flood! Vidi! It's the boat troops!"

The next second, with the roar of the gasoline motor and the churning of water, a large number of orange rubber rescue boats, forming a triangular formation, were approaching the slums.

"This seems to be coming to save us!"

"What Mr. Commissioner said is true! Everyone must listen to him and maintain order!"

"Yes! Trust the government in everything!"

With hope and a large number of armed soldiers, the crowd became calm again.

Until the boat troop docked at the entrance to the main street in the slum area, Gu Ji suddenly heard a relatively familiar shout.

"Vidi! Is Vidi here?"

"I'm here! Pradhan!"

What a coincidence. It turns out that this boat force is the one that was previously responsible for supporting Assam.

In fact, this is also the best solution.

Because West Bengal originally borders Assam, the distance is very close. In addition, the disaster response force commanded by Pradhan, whether it is materials, equipment, or rescue technology, is all ready-made, eliminating the need for preparation and running-in. Time can maximize the role of the troops and the cost is also the lowest.

Pradhan is still the same, with gray curly hair, a beard, and wearing an orange reflective rescue suit.

It turns out that in the past few days since he left, the rain has stopped for many days, and the water in the town has been declining, so the role of the boat force has become less and less.

Therefore, Pradhan only left a hundred boats to search and rescue along the river. All the remaining troops were transferred to Calcutta to assist in support according to the order of the Ministry of Home Affairs of the Central Cabinet.

In the team, many rescue workers secretly and excitedly greeted Gu Ji.

They were the same team members that Gu Ji was responsible for commanding the 14th boat detachment.

"Let me introduce you to another helper!"

Gu Ji gave them a brief response, and then brought Pradan and Marlow to meet. Both of them were hard-working, straight-forward men. After some introduction, they found out that they were both comrades in the 57th Mountain Division of the Army. We quickly became friends.

With help from the military and disaster response forces.

The transfer operation became much easier immediately.

In the previous original plan, Gu Jiduo arranged the "half-way boarding rule", which was to let the boat troops return to the original route after transporting the old, weak, sick and disabled, and then pick up the young adults who were rushing to the safety zone on foot.

Because the speed of a boat in the water is much faster than that of passengers and vehicles traveling against the water.

So there are more trips back and forth.

This undoubtedly increased the refugees' hope of being rescued. In order to increase their enthusiasm, Gu Ji set it up that every time he returned, the people at the front of the team would be moved first.

In this way, in order to rush to the safe zone as soon as possible, everyone will work harder. As the team advances, the distance for the boat troops to turn back becomes shorter and shorter, and the number of times becomes more and more frequent, and finally the plan to transfer all is achieved.

Both Marlowe and Pradhan also believe that this solution is very feasible and can make the most of the flexible and high maneuverability of the boat.

Over the next hour or so.

Passengers from the central and southern districts, as well as military transport vehicles, all rushed to the northern district. Transported by vehicles, boats and boats, millions of refugees were moving to the safe zone bit by bit.

At Matan Park in Zhongcheng District, the originally empty park was already crowded with people. Around the park, firefighters followed the advice of the caregiver and tied the woods together with firefighting sandbags to build a temporary flood embankment more than two meters high. .

"Mr. Vidi, there is no space left in Midtown. Matan Park, Writers Building, and many office buildings are all crowded with people and have reached the maximum capacity!"

"Where is the southern city?"

"It's the same thing. There are too many people in the North District, and there are too few high-lying buildings. As you know..."

"Find a way to move the people in the Southern District to higher ground in the suburbs, and then move the Central District to the Southern District. This may free up more places!"

On the phone, Gu Ji once again received a report from Chief Secretary Ranaut that the safe zone's capacity had reached its upper limit.

But now there are still hundreds of thousands of people left on the road. If we just give up and forget about completing the mission, it would be too cruel for these refugees who persisted until the end.

Buzzbuzz

"Wait a minute, I have a call from here."

Gu Ji was thinking about whether there was a better solution when his cell phone suddenly vibrated. He took it away and saw that it was the Faraka Dam technician. He immediately hung up and connected.

"Mr. Vidi, the Farakka Dam has burst!"