India, Aug. 1 -- Four people stranded on a small island at the confluence of two rain-swollen rivers in Khandwa district were rescued safely in the early hours of Friday after an 11-hour operation carried out by the State Disaster Emergency Response Force (SDERF).

The incident occurred in the Handikundi area, around 20 kilometres from the Khandwa district headquarters, where the Sukta and Avana rivers meet. The group had gone for a picnic on Thursday when the water level rose rapidly following heavy rainfall in the region, cutting off their access to the riverbank and leaving them trapped on the island.

The stranded individuals were identified as Huzefa Hamid (40), Mayank alias Gopal (16), Ali Asgar (35), and Ayush (18). After receiving...