Chaibasa, Aug. 31: Two people were killed and a woman remained missing after a sudden flash flood swept away three villagers in Jharkhand’s West Singhbhum district, officials said on Monday.The incident occurred on Sunday evening near Bahda village under the Chotanagra police station area when the three villagers were returning home after attending a funeral.
Officials said persistent monsoon rainfall caused the Kuili hill river to swell rapidly, creating strong currents. The three individuals were caught in the sudden surge of water at around 6 p.m. and were swept away before they could reach safety.
Police and rescue personnel launched a search operation soon after receiving information about the incident. Local divers, government rescue teams and police personnel joined the operation under the supervision of Chotanagra police station in-charge Gautam Kumar.
One of the victims, a woman, was found dead on Sunday night about 500 metres downstream from the location where the three were swept away. Her body had reportedly become lodged in vegetation along the river.Search teams later recovered the body of another victim, identified as Bosen Sidhu.
The third person, Sunita Sidhu, wife of Bamiya Sidhu, was still missing as of Monday, officials said.Rescue teams continued to search along the riverbanks, nearby areas and downstream locations amid concerns that the strong current may have carried the missing woman further away.
Officials said continuous rainfall and the high water level in the river were creating difficult conditions for the rescue operation.
Authorities said the search would continue as teams expanded their efforts to trace the missing woman.The incident highlights the dangers posed by swollen rivers and sudden flash floods in hilly and forested parts of Jharkhand during the monsoon season.
