At least 8 people were swept away and forty-five people left stranded by flash floods in Sultangarh Water Fall in Shivpuri in Madhya Pradesh, India.
Local media reports that between 8 and 12 people were swept away after a sudden surge of water during the afternoon of 15 August. There has been no official confirmation of fatalities, although India Today reported that 11 people have died.
Madhya Pradesh Minister Yashodhara Raje Scindia told reporters “As of now, we do not know how many people have been washed away.”
Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajesh Hingankar told Press Trust of India (PTI), “at least eight people were swept away yesterday while bathing in the waterfall and 45 others stranded following a sudden surge in water due to heavy rain upstream.”
All 45 stranded were rescued by emergency teams and helicopters during the night 15 to 16 August 2018.
Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said those stranded at the waterfall were rescued with the help of the Border Security Force, State Disaster Response Force, Home Guards, and local police and residents.
Many tourists had visited the water fall to celebrate India’s Independence Day holiday.
India Today reports that the water level increased due to sudden release from a dam.
PTI however says the floods were caused by a sudden surge in water at around 16:30 on 15 August due to heavy rain upstream, catching bathers unawares.
According to India Meteorological Department figures (IMD) Gwalior, around 55km north east of Sultangarh, recorded 70.5mm of rain in 24 hours on 15 August, 2018.
Social Media
We have rescued 40 people & 5 people were rescued earlier by a helicopter. All these 45 people are safe now: Rajesh Hingankar, SP on rescue operations in Shivpuri. #MadhyaPradesh pic.twitter.com/5TsmFvcPNY
— ANI (@ANI) August 15, 2018
SHIVPURI
भगवान सब की रक्षा करें… pic.twitter.com/n1Rcffp3Mp— MahendraMishra (@mishraji12111) August 15, 2018
Happy to share that collective efforts of BSF, SDRF, Police, Homeguards & locals of Shivpuri Dist. has paid off. Everyone from the Sultangarh Water Fall have been rescued. Heartily thank @nstomar ji, who supervised the rescue operations. My deep gratitude to everyone invovled.
— ShivrajSingh Chouhan (@ChouhanShivraj) August 15, 2018
34 stranded persons safely rescued by Signal Training School and Telecom Battalion Indo-Tibetan Border Police (#ITBP) jawans from midstream of Sultan Garh Waterfalls #Shivpuri, MP. #RescueOperation lasted at 0230 Hrs.@PMOIndia@HMOIndia @CMMadhyaPradesh @ChouhanShivraj pic.twitter.com/dLKWCg51Ny
— ITBP (@ITBP_official) August 16, 2018
