Tragedy Strikes in Punjab: Nine Family Members Lost to Flooded Rivulet

Nine people, including eight family members, perished when their vehicle was swept away by a flooded rivulet in Punjab. Despite warnings, the driver attempted to cross the swollen river. Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann announced financial aid, and rescue operations are ongoing to find the missing individuals.

Nine people, including eight members of a family, were tragically killed when their vehicle was swept away by the flooded Jaijon Choe, a seasonal rivulet located 34 km from Punjab, police confirmed.

Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann declared a financial assistance of Rs 4 lakh for the grieving family as he expressed his condolences.

The swollen rivulet was the result of heavy rainfall that had battered various parts of Punjab and surrounding regions. Eleven family members and a driver were en route from Dehlan in Himachal Pradesh's Una district to Mehrowal village in Punjab's SBS Nagar district for a wedding when disaster struck.

Despite warnings from locals about the strong current, the driver chose to proceed, leading to the tragic incident, police noted. Eyewitnesses reported that locals managed to rescue one occupant, Deepak Bhatia, and rushed him to a government dispensary.

Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal stated that a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team has been deployed to assist in the rescue operations. Nine bodies, including those of five females, have been recovered, while efforts to trace the remaining two missing individuals continue.

Authorities have identified the deceased, and Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu conveyed his condolences, assuring full government support to the affected families.