10 August,2026 05:43 PM IST | Rajgarh (MP) | mid-day online correspondent
Heavy rain lashed several parts of Madhya Pradesh on Monday. Representational Pic/File
Nine people, including a girl, were killed after a van carrying 11 passengers was swept away by strong currents while attempting to cross a swollen drain amid heavy rains in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh district on Monday, police said, reported the PTI.
The incident took place at around 9 am near Sarangpur town, when the driver attempted to cross the Padana bypass culvert despite the water flowing strongly through the drain.
According to officials, the van was carrying 11 people when it entered the flooded stretch.
Eyewitnesses said local administration officials and villagers at the spot had warned the driver against proceeding through the water. However, the driver continued driving, following which the strong current swept the vehicle into the drain, according to the PTI.
The van was submerged within moments, officials said.
After the incident, villagers joined the rescue effort and risked their own lives to save those trapped inside the vehicle.
They reportedly tied ropes and entered the area to pull passengers out of the water.
Two occupants of the van managed to swim to safety, while the bodies of nine others, including a girl, were recovered, as per the PTI.
Sarangpur Sub-Divisional Officer of Police (SDOP) Arvind Singh said rivers and drains in the area were overflowing following heavy rainfall, the news agency reported.
He said the driver had driven the van into the strong current near the Padana bypass, resulting in the vehicle being swept away and submerged.
A case has been registered at Sarangpur police station, police said.
Officials have urged people to avoid attempting to cross flooded roads, drains and other waterlogged stretches during heavy rainfall.
Meanwhile, heavy rain lashed several parts of Madhya Pradesh on Monday.
In another rescue in Rajgarh on Sunday, police and NDRF personnel evacuated saints and devotees stranded at Jal Mandir in Khilchipur after a sudden rise in the water level of the Gadganga River, reported the ANI.
The downpour severely hit the state capital as well. Bhopal received around seven inches of rain in the last 24 hours, leading to waterlogging in several areas and traffic snarls. Schools were closed as a precautionary measure.
Minister Vishvas Sarang visited affected areas and directed officials to ensure relief measures and drain cleaning.
On the Bhopal-Bairasia road, traffic was halted after water started flowing over the Itkhedi bridge, while swollen rivers affected movement in the Bairasia area, the news agency reported.
Several other districts also reported flooding. In Mandla, the Chhota Pul remained submerged despite a decline in the Narmada's water level.
Water entered houses, shops and government buildings in Shajapur, Vidisha, Akodia, Salsalai and Raisen.
With rivers and streams continuing to swell, authorities remained engaged in rescue and relief operations across affected districts.
While the rain caused widespread disruption to daily life and transportation, farmers said the showers would benefit standing crops, as per the PTI.
(with PTI and ANI inputs)
