01 September,2026 09:28 AM IST | Dehradun | mid-day online correspondent
State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel and local police carry out a rescue operation after a car fell into a 35-meter-deep gorge near Lalpul in the Chakrata area of Dehradun district. Pic/PTI
Two people died and a young woman was rescued after an SUV carrying three occupants was swept away by a strong water current near Kandoli Bridge on Poundha Road in Dehradun's Prem Nagar area, officials said on Monday.
The incident occurred in the Lower Kandoli region amid heavy rainfall. The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) received information late at night about a vehicle being washed away by rainwater near the bridge.
Following the alert, an SDRF team from Dakpatthar, led by Assistant Sub-Inspector Suresh Tomar, was rushed to the spot and began search and rescue operations.
According to officials, three people - one man and two women - were travelling in the SUV when it was swept away by the strong current.
Despite difficult weather conditions and poor visibility during the night, SDRF personnel continued their operation in the affected area and surrounding locations.
During the search, the team located one injured woman, identified as Sehaj, daughter of Gulshan Baveja. She was found around two kilometres from the site where the vehicle was swept away.
The rescued woman was subsequently handed over to the police for further assistance and necessary medical care.
The SDRF continued searching the area throughout the night as rainwater flowed strongly around the incident site. After sustained efforts, rescuers recovered the bodies of the two other occupants.
One of the deceased was identified as 20-year-old Akshay, a resident of Jaipur in Rajasthan. The identity of the second deceased woman had not been established at the time of the report.
The recovered bodies were handed over to the local police. Officials said further legal formalities, including post-mortem examinations, will be carried out.
The incident came a day after the SDRF was placed on high alert following an Orange Alert issued by the India Meteorological Department for Uttarakhand.
SDRF Commandant Arpan Yaduvanshi had convened a meeting to assess preparedness and review the arrangements of teams deployed across the state.
Company commanders and team in-charges provided updates on weather conditions in their respective areas. The Commandant directed all teams to remain fully alert and prepared to respond to emergencies.
He also instructed personnel to keep rescue equipment and essential safety gear ready in view of the continuing rainfall and the possibility of weather-related incidents across the state.
(With inputs from ANI)
