Two dead as rains pound many areas; defence aircraft launch rescue ops in 3 flood-hit villages

Defence aircraft on Monday launched rescue operations to evacuate people stranded in some flooded villages in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh as heavy rains continued to lash large parts of the state, especially Shivpuri and neighbouring Sheopur districts, leaving two people dead, officials said.

In Sheopur, Deeraj Gurjar (45) drowned in an open water-filled pit while visiting a temple, Karahal sub-divisional magistrate Brijender Singh Yadav said.

In Shivpuri town, a 50-year-old Auxiliary Nurse Midwife (ANM), identified as Sumanlata Joshi, died due to electrocution when an electric current ran into her flooded house in the Kamlaganj area, a police officer said.

Torrential rains continue to pound the two districts in the night.

Nearly 60 people, who were stranded in a flooded building located near the Vijaypur bus stand in Sheopur district following heavy rains, were rescued after over seven hours by this noon.

They had gone to Vijapur to attend a marriage on Sunday night, but got stuck as floodwaters entered the premises, officials said.

“Four helicopters have reached the Shivpuri district to evacuate people from three flooded villages,” district collector Akshay Kumar Singh told PTI over the phone.