Five swept away in rain-swollen rivers in Khargone, three missing & two survive

Times News NetworkKhargone: Five persons were swept away in three separate incidents in rain-swollen rivers in Khargone district, with two managing to swim to safety while search operations were under way to trace the remaining three, police said on Wednesday.According to police sources, 35-year-old Dadu was swept away by the swollen Ruparel river in Jhirnya police station limits on Wednesday. Locals managed to catch hold of him on a low-level causeway in the middle of the river but failed to pull him to safety due to the strong current. A subsequent attempt to rescue him with a rope also failed after the rope snapped, and he was swept away again.Following the incident, Bhikangaon sub-divisional magistrate Lokesh Chhapre, tehsildar Khuman Singh Chauhan and police officials reached the spot.

An SDRF team has been deployed to search for the missing man.In another incident, a 65-year-old man, Omkar Verma of Bediyaw village, was swept away in the Sankadi river under Mengaon police station limits. SHO Mansaram Romde said that search operation was in progress.In Kasrawad police station limits, three labourers were swept away while attempting to cross a bridge over the flooded Veda river between Sarovar Deval and Kavdi villages on late Tuesday.

SHO Rajendra Burman said two of them, identified as Vijay and Deepak, managed to swim to safety, while Lal Singh was swept away by the strong current. Despite search operations throughout Wednesday, he remained untraced till evening. The three men are residents of Khandwa district and had come to the area for work.Heavy rainfall continued across western Madhya Pradesh, triggering flood-like conditions in several rivers and streams. Khargone district has received an average of about 239 mm of rainfall since July 1, with Barwaha recording the highest 342 mm and Jhirnya lowest at 159 mm.India Meteorological Department has forecast heavy rain over the next three days. In neighbouring Barwani district, 18.7 mm average rainfall was recorded in the last 24 hours.