Nine members of a family, including four children, were killed after the vehicle they were travelling in was swept away while crossing a flooded drain in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district on Monday, police said, adding that two of the passengers were rescued by local residents.
Rajgarh: A crane lifts a van out of a flooded drain at Padana village, in Rajgarh district, Madhya Pradesh. Nine people died and two survived after the vehicle was swept away while crossing an overflowing bridge (PTI)
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Chief minister Mohan Yadav announced a compensation of ₹4 lakh to the families of each of the deceased.
“...My condolences go out to the bereaved families. Instructions have been issued to provide financial assistance,” the CM said.
According to police, the incident took place in Padana town around 9 am when the Eco van was travelling from Dewas to Kadnavad village in Sarangpur tehsil for a religious visit. The victims include four women, a man and four children, all residents of Satwas village in Dewas, while the two rescued men were admitted to Sarangpur hospital.
“As the vehicle reached the Padana bypass, water from the swollen Jhiri drain had spilled over the road. Despite repeated warnings from locals, the driver tried to cross. The strong current swept the van into the drain,” said Arvind Singh, sub-divisional officer of police (SDOP).
Rescue teams from police, administration, and SDRF, along with villagers, launched operations using ropes and cranes.
A witness, Mahendra Parmar said, “The water level was so high that the driver could not distinguish between the road and the drain. We urged him to wait until the water receded, but he ignored the warnings.”
Sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Rohit Bamhore said, “A total of 11 people were involved; two of them were rescued. The bodies of nine people have been recovered; among the deceased...Two people were rescued by residents.” “Heavy rains had submerged the road, but despite warnings, the driver drove ahead, leading to the tragedy,” he added.
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Meanwhile, high alert has been issued in 21 districts of MP. In Bhopal, water has inundated railway tracks, temples, police stations, and homes. Many roads in Sehore and Shajapur are closed due to flooding, and a bridge was washed away in Raisen.
Bhopal recorded the highest rainfall of 7 inches in the last 24 hours. In Vidisha, 17 people, including children, were rescued after getting stranded in floodwaters. Temples in Sehore’s Sevaniya village have been submerged due to heavy rains. Meanwhile, water is flowing over a bridge, disrupting transportation.
I have spent over a decade chronicling Madhya Pradesh’s political and social landscape, covering politics, investigative journalism, crime, human interest, and government policy, blending sharp insight with ground‑level depth. I have closely tracked three assembly elections, three Lok Sabha elections, leadership transitions in MP while exposing governance lapses, tender irregularities, and flawed policy rollouts. My reports have revealed gaps in the Cheetah project, irregularities in medical education, rigging in recruitment exams, and loopholes in policy implementation. In crime reporting, I have moved beyond FIRs to map systemic patterns — from organised crime networks and gender‑based violence to custodial accountability — balancing urgency with sensitivity. My journalism is defined by a commitment to human interest. I have profiled the marginalised Bancchda community, documented atrocities against tribal groups, and highlighted efforts to preserve their culture through heritage liquor and revival of spiritual practices. I have reported on farmers struggling with failed MSP promises, giving voice to those often reduced to statistics in policy files. Passionate about field reporting, I have reported on rampant sand mining in Chambal and Narmada, pharmaceutical companies supplying medicines under altered names, the dire condition of schools and colleges, the plight of commercial sex workers, and skewed sex ratios in specific districts. Beyond deadlines, and as HT’s state correspondent and assistant editor in Madhya Pradesh, I engage with ministers, farmers, students, and activists, believing the best policy stories begin with a single human voice. A postgraduate in Journalism and Mass Communication, I also hold a diploma in sports journalism.
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Home/India News/9 of family killed in Madhya Pradesh's Rajgarh as flooded drain sweeps van away
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