11 of Una family swept away in flashflood, bodies of 9 recovered

Tribune News Service

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Hoshiarpur/Dharamsala, Aug 11

As many as 12 persons, including 11 members of a family, travelling from Dehlan village in Una district of Himachal Pradesh to attend a wedding at Nawanshahr in an Innova car were swept away in a flashflood in Jejon Doaba Choe this morning. While one person was rescued, nine bodies have been recovered. Efforts are on to trace the two missing persons.

After crossing the Himachal border, they were passing through the choe when suddenly it was flooded and their vehicle got stuck in the mud. Within seconds, it was swept away by the strong current. One person, Deepak, was rescued by some people nearby. Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal said a National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team was called immediately for a search and rescue operation.

Sources said despite warning from locals, the driver tried to cross the swollen choe. The vehicle was washed away hundreds of metres from the culvert and a JCB machine was deployed by the administration to retrieve it.

As per information, Deepak Bhatia of Dehlan near Mehatpur in Una, along with 11 relatives and family members, had left in an Innova to attend a wedding ceremony at Nehrowal village in Nawanshahr. The car was being driven by Binda, son of Hukam Chand of the same village.

The other occupants were Deepak’s father Surjit (55), mother Paramjit Kaur (50), Sarup Chand (49), Binder (Sarup Chand’s wife), Shino (wife of Amrik Singh), her daughter Bhavna (18), son Harshit (12), Anku (20) and two others. DSP Jagir Singh said the search operation was still on and Deepak, whose condition was stable, had been admitted to a hospital at Garhshankar.

Himachal Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu and Deputy CM Mukesh Agnihotri have condoled the deaths and said all possible assistance would be provided to the bereaved families by the government.