11 of family swept away in MP flood; 8 bodies recovered

The Story in Brief

Eight members of a family were killed and two rescued after a van was swept away in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district on Monday. The vehicle was crossing the flooded Jhiri drain near Padana bypass in Sarangpur tehsil. Police said the driver ignored warnings from locals and the administration before attempting to cross. Rescuers using ropes and cranes recovered no occupants from the submerged van. Bodies of eight of the 11 passengers were found; the toll varies among sources, from seven reported by The Hindu to nine by others. Search continues for one missing person. The family, from Dewas, was travelling to Kadnavad village for a religious visit. Incessant rain and a partially built bridge contributed to the tragedy.

The Hindu adds that two children and a woman were among the dead, and that cloudburst-like rain began around midnight on Sunday, flooding 45 villages in the tehsil. New Indian Express reports the driver has been booked by police.