Flash floods, lightning claim five lives in Madhya Pradesh

BHOPAL/INDORE: After barely a lull of two days, another spell of torrential rain followed by flash floods played havoc and claimed at least five lives and loss of livestock and property across the state on Monday. Two persons, a woman in Khargone district and a man in Harda district were washed away and three more died as lightning struck them in Dindori district.
Harda district is the worst hit and remains cut off from other areas after Machal, Gunjal, Anjal and Agni are in spate. The man who washed away was identified as Mishri Lal, 40. He was a resident of Amakhal village in the district. It is the second time in less than a week, when the district took bore the brunt of rain and flood. The district has turned into an island as whole lot of villages were marooned, forcing the administration to shift many families to relief camps.
Five people, including an advocate had a narrow escape near Beragarh village. "I was walking on a road leading to my home. The road, which runs parallel to railway track, was submerged forcing me to save life by climbing on a tree," said advocate Rupak Kushwaha, a resident of Harda.
Four more people, who were stuck in flash floods, had to save their lives by climbing trees. "Luckily, we had a mobile phone with us. We made a call to our families and police control room," Kushwaha said, adding they were rescued after three hours of struggle. Similarly, nearly 40 people from low-lying areas of Harda, who were trapped in their houses after flash floods, were rescued from the roof-top. A bridge, which was constructed last year near Khurd village on Sukhi River, collapsed due to heavy rains.
In Dindori district, three workers who were working for construction of towers for laying high-tension power supply lines were killed and eight sustained burns after lightning struck them around 5 pm. Shahpura police station in charge Vijay Patel said, "The dead were identified as Nopa Koda Gond, resident of Ranchi district of Jharkhand, Doharai Singh Gond, resident of Katni and Sukhdev Singh Gondi, a resident of Mandla district."
There were 11 labourers, who took shelter in a tent near construction site, a few km from Shahpura police station in Dindori district. Patel said.
Vehicles were stranded on both sides of Rehti-Nasrullahganj Road in Sehore district as water level in Bhabhar, Ambar and Bhagner rivers touched alarming level.
"Roads in the area were closed for an hour or so," district collector Sehore Kavindra Kiyawat told TOI.
In Khargone district, a woman died due to flash floods in Multan village and two dozen cattle and hundred of makeshift dwellings were washed away in strong water currents. The village was submerged due to overflowing nullah.
A boat with nine people on board capsized in Nepanagar of Burhanpur district, when water level suddenly increased in Tapti river. The rive is flowing 27 feet above danger mark by Monday evening. "People were saved by rescue team," said CSP BS Parihar.
Burhanpur district said several villages on banks of Tapti River are facing inundation and people have been shifted to safer location.
In Khandwa, several low-lying areas have been flooded and people were shifted to relief camps. Over flowing Agni river has disrupted the road transport on Khandwa-Betul-Hoshangabad road. Water of Avna River is flowing two feet above the bridge on Khandwa-Amravati Road disrupting road transport.