Two dead as SUV falls into drain in Udaipur, search for missing man continues

Jaipur, Aug 26 (IANS) An SUV fell into a drain in Lakoda village under Kherwada police station in Rajasthan's Udaipur, leaving two people dead, while two passengers managed to escape by breaking the car’s glass.

The hunt to trace the body of the third victim is still on, police officials said.

The accident occurred on Monday in late-night hours. Rescue teams recovered the bodies of Dhruv Patel (Lakoda) and Naresh Meena (Mahudia Bavalwada) late at night, while the search for Luv Patel (Bayadi) continued for hours after the incident was reported. The district officials fear the body may have been swept away by the strong current.

Two others, namely Praveen Meena of Mahudia and Laxman Meena of Sagwara, survived after breaking the car window.

According to police, Dhruv and Luv were travelling from Kherwada to Baydi village when they offered a lift to three youths, including Naresh, shortly before the accident.

The site where the SUV plunged has a slope and a sharp U-turn, with rainwater flowing heavily on both sides of the road.

Villagers said the driver likely could not gauge the depth and force of the water at night, causing the vehicle to lose control and slip into the drain.

Locals also pointed out that similar accidents have happened in this stretch during the monsoon season due to water overflowing onto the road. Rescue work was hampered by rain and darkness.

The SDRF team from Udaipur arrived at 12.30 a.m.-- about 90 minutes after the incident -- and recovered two bodies within hours. According to the police, there was a lot of difficulty in the rescue operation due to rain and darkness.

The search for the third victim resumed on Tuesday morning, with district administration and police teams on site.

Luv Patel, the missing victim, owned a bakery shop in Kherwada, while Dhruv Patel worked as a light fitter.

--IANS

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