Bid to cross flooded road ends in nine deaths as van slips into drain in Madhya Pradesh

A van carrying 11 members of a family tragically plunged into a swollen drain in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district on Monday morning, resulting in the deaths of nine people, including a young girl. The accident occurred around 9 am near the Padana bypass while the family, en route from Dewas to Kadnavad village in Sarangpur, attempted to cross a flooded road.

Despite heavy rainfall that had caused the Jhiri drain to overflow, the driver persisted in crossing the hazardous stretch, ignoring repeated warnings from locals. The strong current swiftly swept the vehicle into the drain. Villagers, aided by ropes, launched a desperate rescue attempt, but the van could only be pulled out using cranes.

Eyewitness Mahendra Parmar recounted the harrowing scene, stating that the water had risen so high that it was difficult to distinguish between the road and the drain. Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rohit Bamhore explained that construction of a 30-foot bridge over the Jhiri drain was underway, with diversion boards installed, but the incessant rainfall had submerged the road.

The tragic incident occurred amidst a series of rain-related emergencies in the Sarangpur area, with several locations experiencing overflowing drains, waterlogging, and rapidly rising water levels. A police case has been registered at the Sarangpur police station to investigate the circumstances surrounding the accident, including the warnings given to the driver and the condition of the diversion at the site.