A family of four from Tamil Nadu lost their lives after being swept away by floodwaters in the Bastar region of Chhattisgarh on Tuesday, August 26. The victims have been identified as Rajesh Kumar G (43), his wife Pavithra (40), and their daughters Saujainya (7) and Saumaiyya (4), from Tirupathur district.
The family was traveling in a car along with their driver, Lala Yadu, when they attempted to cross the flooded Kanger Nala culvert inside Kanger Valley National Park. The strong currents swept away their vehicle.
Rajesh, a contractor based in Raipur, had been visiting the region with his family as tourists. Yadu, seated in the front passenger seat, managed to save himself by jumping out. After an 18-hour-long operation, the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and district administration recovered the vehicle and the bodies.
The family was reportedly on their way back to Tamil Nadu via Bastar and Sukma but had turned back due to heavy rainfall, returning to Kanger Valley National Park, where the tragedy occurred. The bodies have since been shifted to Jagdalpur Medical College.
Meanwhile, heavy rains continue to disrupt life across Chhattisgarh. Several stretches of NH-30, connecting Jagdalpur to Sukma, have been closed as the Sabari river overflowed. In Bijapur district, the swelling Indravati river caused widespread damage, with 20 houses collapsing in Cherpal and over 100 people cut off from the district headquarters. Nearly 70 people were evacuated from Bastar, Dantewada, and Bijapur districts in the past 36 hours, according to several reports.