Woman climbs tank, sparks 4-hour rescue

Lucknow: High drama unfolded in Gomti Nagar on Sunday after a young woman climbed atop a water tank and allegedly threatened to jump, prompting a major rescue operation by police and fire brigade teams.

According to police, the woman, a resident of Ayodhya, had married a youth from Lakhimpur in a love marriage and was reportedly upset due to an ongoing dispute between the couple. Inspector Brajesh Chandra Tiwari of Gomti Nagar police station said the woman climbed the water tank located in Vineet Khand-5 around 9 am. Passersby noticed her sitting atop the structure and threatening to jump, following which police were alerted.

Soon after receiving information, the police and fire brigade personnel rushed to the spot and launched efforts to persuade her to come down safely. However, despite repeated appeals, the woman initially refused to descend.

Police officials, including outpost in-charge Gurpreet Kaur along with personnel identified as Deepak, Surya and Vipin, climbed the tank along with members of the fire brigade team to counsel the woman directly. As the standoff continued for several hours, officials provided food and water to the woman on top of the tank while continuing negotiations. Police sources said the woman remained emotionally distressed and repeatedly resisted attempts to bring her down.

After nearly four hours of continuous counselling and persuasion, the woman finally agreed to come down safely. She was immediately escorted by police personnel and taken to a hospital for medical examination and counselling.

The incident drew a large crowd in the area, with nearly 150 onlookers gathering near the water tank. Police personnel had to clear the crowd before safely escorting the woman into a police vehicle. No injuries were reported in the incident.