3 min readAug 10, 2026 10:40 PM IST
Nine people, including a girl, were killed after a van carrying 11 members of a family was swept into a swollen drain while attempting to cross a flooded road in Madhya Pradesh’s Rajgarh district on Monday morning. Two passengers managed to escape as the vehicle was pulled into the fast-moving water.
The family was travelling from Dewas to Kadnavad village in Sarangpur when the accident occurred around 9 am near the Padana bypass. Heavy rainfall had caused the Jhiri drain to overflow, sending water across the road and making the crossing hazardous. Police said the vehicle was swept into the drain within moments of entering the flooded stretch.
‘Driver was warned by locals’
Police said the driver had been warned not to proceed but he did not pay heed. “As the vehicle reached the Padana bypass, water from the swollen Jhiri drain spilled over the road. Despite repeated warnings from locals, the driver attempted to cross the stretch. The strong current swept the van into the drain,” said a police officer.
Villagers entered the flooded area with the help of ropes in an attempt to rescue the passengers. The van was eventually pulled out using ropes and cranes.
Eyewitness Mahendra Parmar said the water had risen to such a level that it was hard to tell the road from the drain. “We urged him (the van driver) to wait until the water receded, but he ignored the warnings,” he said.
The accident occurred near a bridge-construction site.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Rohit Bamhore said work was under way on a 30-foot bridge over the Jhiri drain and diversion boards had been installed. “Incessant rainfall had led to the swallowing of drains. Construction work has been going on for a 30-foot bridge over the Jhiri drain, and diversion boards were installed. Heavy rains submerged the road, but despite warnings, the driver drove ahead, leading to the tragedy,” he said.
The tragedy came as several parts of the Sarangpur area saw overflowing drains, waterlogging and rapidly rising water levels following heavy rain. In several places, rescue teams and local residents were involved in responding to the rain-related emergencies.
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Police said a case had been registered at Sarangpur police station. The circumstances leading to the accident, including the warnings given to the driver and the condition of the diversion at the site, are being examined.