Female CRPF staffer among 4 swept away in floodwaters in Latur district; search on

Latur, Sep 17 (PTI) Four persons, including a female CRPF staffer, were swept away in the strong flow of water in separate incidents as heavy rains triggered flooding in parts of Latur district in central Maharashtra, officials said on Wednesday.

Heavy rains lashed Latur district over the past three days and on Tuesday, four people were swept away in floodwaters in separate incidents, the District Information Officer (DIO) said in a release.

Three persons, including a female staffer of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), were swept away when an auto-rickshaw overturned while trying to cross a flooded stretch over a gushing stream between Patoda (Khurd) and Malhipparga areas, said the release.

The missing passengers were identified as CRPF staffer Sangita Suryawanshi (32), Vaibhav Pundlik Gaikwad (24) and Vitthal Dhondiba Gavle (50). Rescue operations continued late into the night, but their whereabouts remained unknown, said the release.

In another incident, a 28-year-old man, Sudarshan Ghonshette, was washed away in the swollen Tiru river and a separate rescue operation was underway to locate him, it said.

CRPF staffer Suryawanshi had come to her native village Malhipparga on leave and was scheduled to travel to New Delhi on Tuesday to resume duty, according to the release. PTI COR RSY