Punjab news: Nine people, including eight members of a family from Himachal Pradesh, died and two others went missing after their vehicle got swept away by the flooded Jaijon Choe, a seasonal rivulet around 34 km from here on Sunday, police said.
The Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) was swept away in a swollen seasonal rivulet in Mahilpur block of Hoshiarpur district in Punjab. The rivulet was swollen due to heavy rainfall that lashed several parts of Punjab and other areas.
Eleven members of a family, along with a driver, were travelling in the SUV from Dehra near Mehatpur in Una district of Himachal Pradesh to Mehrowal village in Punjab's SBS Nagar district to attend a wedding, police officials said.
A 10-year-old child was rescued by local villagers. Eleven people were travelling in the SUV and returning to their residence after attending a wedding in Punjab's Nawanshahr. According to the police, the family was picnicking after a wedding when they were caught by rushing floodwaters and swept away.
The victims have been identified as Deepak Bhatia, a resident of Dehlan village near Mehatpur in Una district of Himachal Pradesh, his father Surjeet Bhatia, mother Paramjeet Kaur, uncle Sarup Chand, aunts Bandar and Shino, daughters Bhavna and Anku were among the dead.
The local administration reached the spot and launched a rescue operation with the help of locals. Hoshiarpur lies in the foothills of the Shivalik range along Himachal Pradesh with scores of natural choes (rivulets) and covers the sub-mountainous undulating plain.
A majority of the rivulets in Hoshiarpur remain dry except during the rainy season. Suddenly heavy rain in the hill state turns these choes into death traps. According to the police, callous driving was mainly responsible for the accident.
Himachal CM expresses condolences
Expressing grief, Himachal Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the news of the death of nine people was sad. "I am in touch with the local administration. Relief and rescue work is underway. Instructions have been given to provide all possible help to the affected families," he wrote on X.
As they were crossing the Jaijon Choe, which was in spate due to heavy rain, their vehicle got swept away, the police said. Some locals had even warned the driver not to cross the choe because of strong water current in the rivulet but he ignored it and moved ahead, said police.
However, several locals managed to rescue one occupant- Deepak Bhatia- and took him to the Government Dispensary in Jaijon. A video of the incident showed that the vehicle was stuck in the flooded choe.
NDRF team deployed
Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal said a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been deployed to assist in the rescue and search operations for the missing individuals.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Surendra Lamba said nine bodies, including those of five females, have been recovered from the rivulet. Efforts were on to trace the two missing persons.
The family members of the deceased have told the police that there were twelve people in the sports utility vehicle (SUV). There were about five vehicles and an earth moving machine on the other side of the Jaijon Choe towards Himachal Pradesh, waiting for the water to subside.
The occupants of these vehicles asked the driver to stop, but the driver proceeded, leading to the tragic incident, Lamba said. Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Jagir Singh stated that the vehicle was swept away by the strong water current for approximately 200 meters downstream.
Those killed have been identified as Surjit Bhatia, his wife Paramjit Kaur, brother Saroop Chand, sister-in-law Binder, Shinno of Bhatoli in Mehatpur, her daughters Bhavna and Anu, son Harshit, and driver Bindu, the police said.
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