Bank manager, cashier drive into flooded underpass in Faridabad, die by drowning after SUV submerges

A bank manager and a cashier tragically lost their lives when their SUV was engulfed by water in a flooded underpass in Faridabad. On Friday night, heavy rains affecting Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) had caused the underpass to flood.

Police stated that Punyashreya Sharma, manager of the HDFC Bank branch in Sector 31, Gurugram, and Viraj Dwivedi, a cashier at the same branch, were driving home to Faridabad in a Mahindra XUV700.

According to a PTI report, the XUV 700 entered the underpass, ignoring all warnings. Consequently, it got stuck in the deep floodwater, following which water gushed into the vehicle.

According to a report by Free Press Journal, Sharma's wife tried calling her husband but was unable to reach him. As phones continued to be unreachable, Sharma's wife along with another person set out to find the manager and the cashier.

When the SUV began to submerge, the two men had attempted to escape by swimming to safety but tragically drowned. Police officials reported that a team responded after being alerted about the SUV stuck in the underpass.

While Sharma's body was recovered from the vehicle, Dwivedi's body was found only at 4 a.m. on Saturday following an extensive search. According to a report by PTI, the cashier Viraj Dwivedi had died on spot.

Delhi rains: Second highest in a decade

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an 'Orange' alert for Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) predicting heavy rainfall on Friday, September 13, 2024. Several parts of Delhi-NCR received light to moderate rain in the morning causing waterlogging and traffic snarls.

Traffic jams and waterlogging affected various parts of the NCR including areas like Hero Honda Chowk, Rajiv Chowk, and IFFCO Chowk in Gurugram. IMD data indicates that Delhi has recorded over 1,000 mm of rainfall this month, the highest since 2021 and the second highest in at least a decade.

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