The fire force in Kochi on Sunday rescued a kitten that had been stuck on a metro pillar.
The kitten had been stuck between two pillars of the metro bridge in Vytilla for five days, Mathrubhumi reported.
While people who spotted the kitten had called the authorities, the fire force had not been able to make a rescue attempt due to lack of equipment, according to Malayala Manorama. Rescue efforts began on Sunday after the metro authorities arranged for a crane.
Cars and vehicles were queued up along one side of the road for two hours as the rescue work took place, Times of India said.
Videos show a group of people holding a wide net below as two firefighters got on the crane to reach the kitten.
“The main challenge was that we weren’t able to stand up on top of the pillar. We had to lie down during the entire rescue mission. Moreover, there were electric lines passing through on the bridge and we were given strict instructions not to touch them. But without touching them, we cannot work there. That was a risk. But we just wanted to rescue the cat,” one of the officials told reporters, The NewsMinute quoted.
“Even though we were entirely prepared to halt Kochi Metro services and switch off power in case of an emergency, there did not arise a need for such an action,” Kochi Metro spokesperson told ToI.
One of the firefighters managed to scoop the kitten into a large offset net, the report said.
People cheered as the animal was rescued and brought down. According to TNM, the kitten ran off after it was fed food and water by locals.