Five missing as vehicle plunges into canal in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district

Korba: Five persons, including three children, are missing after a mini goods vehicle fell into a canal in Chhattisgarh’s Korba district on Sunday, police said.

The accident occurred around 12.30 pm between Mukundpur and Madwarani villages under Urga police station limits when a vehicle with 12 occupants was heading to Kharhari in Korba district from Reda of Sakti district, an official said.

The driver lost control of the mini goods vehicle, and it fell into a canal. While seven persons, including the driver, managed to swim to safety, two adults and three children went missing, he said.

After being alerted, the police and a rescue team reached the spot and started a search operation to find the missing persons, the official said.

The search team initially encountered strong currents in the canal. However, the water flow has since been stopped upstream, and the operation is currently underway, he said.

After the incident, the vehicle driver fled from the spot, the official added.