Saved by pet dog first thing in morning

Bhanu P Lohumi

Tribune News Service

Shimla, January 9

Adversity often brings out the best in man. And, in man’s best friend, without fail. 

Perhaps Brawny’s sixth sense saved the lives of five members of a family in the heart of snow-laden Shimla this morning. “Our pet dog suddenly started barking around 5.30 am. As I tried to take it out for a walk, it dragged me inside and pulled the blanket off my grandchildren,” recalled Ramesh Dutt, a retired railway employee.

 “Sensing that Brawny was trying to warn us about something, I peeped out and heard a sound as if branches of a tree were cracking. We rushed out and within minutes, a huge tree collapsed, piercing through the walls of our house,” said Dutt, who retired from the Railways two months ago and is still residing in the official accommodation here.

 “Our dog saved us all,” said Dutt, who lives with his wife, daughter-in-law and two grandchildren. “Two rooms have been totally damaged. We are staying with neighbours,” he said.

 On Saturday, a tree branch had pierced through the roof of the house occupied by Subash Chand, another railway employee. “Fortunately, there was no one in the house at that time,” said Chand, who was shifting his belongings to another house.

 Meanwhile, a team of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), led by Commanding Officer PC Rathuria and Assistant Commander Naveen, evacuated 230 persons stranded in snow between Fagu and Kufri today. 

“We received a call from the Under Secretary, Ministry of Petroleum, that 130 persons were stuck in snow. We rushed to the spot from the SSB telecom training centre, Kasumpti, to rescue people,” SSB officials said.

They also evacuated about 100 tourists, they added.