Varanasi: During flash floods in Padwanala under Machi police station in Sonbhadra district following heavy showers on the hills, three, including a 6-year-old child, were swept away on Tuesday. Locals rescued one, while the bodies of the other two were fished out by divers engaged by the police.Sonbhadra CO (Sadar) Raj Sonkar said on Wednesday that following heavy rainfall on neighbouring hills, a flash flood-like situation arose in Padwanala, a tributary drain of the Karmnasha river. Although many picnickers managed to reach safe places, three, including Bablu, 18 , Suktar Ali, 18 , and Ali Hasan, 6 , all natives of neighbouring Chargada village along the Bihar border, were swept away.On seeing them in trouble, villagers swung into action and pulled out Bablu after he wasswept 500 metres away in the currents. Suktar and Hasan could not be found. Villagers alerted police and rushed Bablu to hospital for treatment of injuries. Villagers and divers started massive efforts to search for Suktar and Hasan. After an hour ‘s search, Suktar ‘s body was found about 1 km away from the spot. Hasan ‘s body was found on Wednesday morning.Eyewitnesses informed police about many picnickers in the terrains of hills near Chargada village. A large number of picnickers had reached the bed of Padwanala (stream) when the weather turned pleasant after it began to rain. Bablu, Suktar and Hasan were cooking in a hillside cave in the afternoon. Heavy rain led to a huge stream of water flowinginto the Karmnasha ‘s tributary. While other picnickers managed to escape, the trio was swept away in the strong current.
