Search on for missing bodies in MP
SHIVPURI(MP): The search for bodies of persons swept away by the gushing water in Sultangarh water fall on Wednesday, continued throughout the day without any success, said police officials.
Earlier 45 persons who had been trapped on a rock outcrop in the middle of the river leading to the waterfall were rescued successfully in wee hours of Thursday. Initially, the Army pressed their choppers in the rescue operation and then members of the National Disaster Response Force, Indo-tibetan Border Police , the Army, used ropes to bring all of them to safety.
Shivpuri SP Rajesh Hingankar said that so far families of six persons have approached them saying that their kin is missing. “The NDRF, ITBP and police jawans with the help of locals scoured the area but could not find a single body. Rescue operations will continue” the SP said.
The waterfall, a popular picnic spot near village Mohna, is situated some 50 km from Shivpuri and Gwalior districts of Madhya Pradesh, and a large number of people had gone there on Wednesday to celebrate Independence Day.
Muvin Khan, resident of Gwalior, who was rescued last night said, “We had gone to enjoy ourselves and we were bathing in the river. Suddenly the water level in the waterfall area rose giving the revelers no time to reach the safety of the shore. I saw five to six people being swept away.”
A video footage of several people holding hands in a desperate bid to steady themselves in the middle of the strong water current, and then being washed away and falling around 100 feet down the waterfall is doing the rounds in the social media.
Meanwhile the chief minister has announced a reward of ₹5 lakh each for members of the rescue teams who braved the odds and rescued the people.