A 35-year-old man from the remote Laheri village in Bhamragad taluka of Maharashtra's Gadchiroli district was airlifted by helicopter on Friday after he reportedly fell critically ill due to suspected poisoning or a snakebite. The emergency medical evacuation was carried out jointly by the Gadchiroli Police and the district administration as several villages in the flood-hit region remained cut off following days of heavy rainfall and overflowing rivers.

The evacuation came after incessant rain battered Gadchiroli over the past few days. On July 29, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued a red alert for Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, and Gondia districts, warning of extremely heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds. The downpour caused the Indravati, Pamulgautam, and Parlkota rivers to swell, triggering flood-like conditions across Bhamragad taluka.