Man swept away while rescuing cow from flooded drain in Himachal's Paonta

Nahan (HP), Aug 29 (PTI) A man was swept away by floodwaters of a drain near a village here on Friday morning while trying to rescue a trapped cow, officials said.

A video of the incident has surfaced online.

Eyewitnesses told PTI that as soon as Balwant Singh, a resident of Ajiwala village (Toka Nagla), approached the cow, the strong current of the floodwater swept him away.

Upon receiving the information, SDM Paonta, Gunjit Singh Cheema, rushed to the spot with a team and launched a rescue operation with the help of locals and divers to trace Singh. The search was underway till the filing of this report.

Officials said heavy rain has lashed the district for the last 18 hours, leaving the Tons, Yamuna, Bata and Giri rivers — which flow through Sirmaur district — in spate.

They said the water level in the rivers was continuously rising and had reached near the danger mark. Dozens of rivulets and drains in the district were also flooded.

The district administration has appealed to residents to stay away from swollen rivers, rivulets and drains, avoid taking risks and inform authorities immediately in case of any emergency. PTI COR BPL SMV HIG