Excelsior Correspondent
SAMBA, Aug 10: In a flash flood in river Devak three persons and a dozen cattle were trapped while a tractor trolley was washed away near Utterbehni in the district today.
Reports said the incident took place when it was raining heavily in the upper reaches in the morning. A tractor driver and two labourers were busy in loading sand in the middle of the river at around 7.30 am. Suddenly, due to flash flood the water level started rising and they could not move to the safety.
All the three left the trolley behind and ran to the safety at the middle where some green patch was there. Nearly a dozen cows also got trapped and also moved to this safer zone in the middle of the river. They raised loud voice and alerted the villagers on that side to seek help. As the water level went on rising, the tractor-trolley washed away in the river.
The police and senior officials from district administration also reached there after some time. The police and locals waited till the water level receded. They remained trapped for more than three hours. Then with the help of ropes and local swimmers, all the three trapped villagers were rescued. The cows also returned to the bank during the mid day after the water level considerably decreased.
Those rescued were identified as Jasbir Singh of Gurha Slathian, Mukhtiar Singh and Tarsem Lal of Motrian village.