JAIPUR: Heavy rains across Rajasthan led to the tragic death of 15 people on Sunday. The fatalities occurred in various districts: seven in Bharatpur, three in Jhunjhunu, three in Karauli, one in Jodhpur, and one in Banswara. In separate incidents, five youths drowned in Kanota Dam near Jaipur, and a search operation was started on Sunday evening to locate the victims.
The worst rain-related tragedy happened in Bharatpur where seven youngsters, aged between 14 and 22, lost their lives due to drowning. All victims were from Srinagar village, with three being cousins. They had gone to the river to bathe and record social media reels when the water level surged unexpectedly.
Despite the efforts of local villagers who worked for an hour to recover the bodies, the current was too strong to save them in time. Two bodies were taken to RBM Hospital in Bharatpur, while the other five are at a nearby mortuary. The incident occurred during severe weather conditions, with continuous rain over the past two days causing a huge inflow into the Panchana Dam.
On Sunday afternoon, six of the dam’s gates were opened, leading many locals, including the victims, to gather at the dam to witness the event. The sudden rise in water trapped the group on a small island, and despite villagers’ attempts to help, rescue efforts were thwarted by the strong current.
District Collector Amit Yadav confirmed the identities of the deceased: Pawan Jatav (20), son of Uday Singh; Saurabh Jatav (14), son of Tan Singh; Bhupendra Jatav (18), son of Dashrath; Shantanu Jatav (18), son of Khem Singh; Lucky Jatav (20), son of Pritam Singh; Pawan Singh Jatav (22), son of Sugan Singh; and Gaurav Jatav (16), son of Prakash.
In a similar tragedy in Jhunjhunu, three youths drowned in a pond in Mehrana village. The victims, from the nearby village of Sanwalod, had visited the Mehrana Mata temple and decided to bathe in the pond. Mukesh, a resident of Sanwalod who was with the group, had warned them about the potential dangers of the pond.