3 drown as car plunges into drain in Faridabad

Three men drowned after their car veered off the road and plunged into the Gauchi drain near the fish market in Faridabad late on Thursday night. The victims were returning from a Ganesh Chaturthi pandal in Sector 11.

The police said the accident occurred around 10.40 pm when the car, travelling from the fish market towards Sanjay Colony, lost control and fell into the drain. Local residents, who witnessed the incident, raised an alarm and rushed to the scene.

A police team arrived promptly and, with the help of locals, began a rescue operation. After an hour of efforts using ropes and other tools, the three occupants were pulled from the water. Chest compressions and pumping were attempted en route to Badshah Khan Hospital, but doctors pronounced all three dead on arrival. Their bodies were later sent for postmortem.

The deceased were identified as Pawan Maurya, 32, a resident of Sanjay Colony; Gaurav Rawat, 33, from Jawahar Colony; and Amit Jha, 31, of Atal Chowk in Sanjay Enclave.

According to the car’s registration certificate, the vehicle was registered in the name of Amit Jha, who worked for a private company in Sector 58, Faridabad. He was the sole breadwinner of his family and is survived by four sisters, one of whom is married.

“A probe is under way to determine the cause of the accident,” police spokesperson Yashpal Singh said. “Statements from the families of the deceased will be recorded before further action is taken.”