HISHIARPUR (Punjab), Aug 11: Nine people, including eight members of a family, were killed and two others reported missing after their vehicle was swept away in a flooded seasonal rivulet in Punjab’s Hoshiarpur district on Sunday, police said.
The victims were identified as Surjit Bhatia (52), Harshit (12), Nitin (18), Gagan (24), Paramjit Kaur, Binder, Bhavna (15), Amanat (16), and driver Kulwinder Singh, police said.
The victims were part of a group of 11 family members, along with their driver, who were travelling in a rented sports utility vehicle from Dehlan, near Mehatpur in Una district, Himachal Pradesh, to attend a wedding in Mehrowal village in SBS Nagar (Nawanshahar) district, police said.
As they were crossing the Jaijon Choe, which was in spate due to heavy rain, their vehicle was swept away, the police said.
Villagers from Jaijon, who witnessed the incident, managed to rescue one occupant, Deepak Bhatia of Dehra, from the floodwaters. He was taken to a dispensary for first aid, the police said.
Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal said that the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was searching for the missing persons identified as – Ram Sarup and Surinder Kaur.
Senior Superintendent of Police Surendra Lamba confirmed that nine bodies, including those of four women, have been recovered.
Hoshiarpur Deputy Superintendent of Police (Cyber Crime and PBI Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances) Jagir Singh said that the SUV was swept away by the strong current for approximately 200 meters downstream.
(UNI)
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