Bilaspur

Three children and a man tragically drowned in Chhattisgarh’s Bilaspur district after being swept away by a sudden surge of water in a stream caused by heavy rainfall, police reported on Tuesday. The incident occurred Monday evening near Marhi Mata temple in Bhanwartank, under Belgahna police limits, when a group of about 40 people, including family members and friends from Balodabazar-Bhatapara and Bilaspur districts, had visited the temple.

After the visit, as they attempted to cross a normally shallow stream on foot to return to their bus, sudden heavy rain caused water from nearby hills to rush into the stream. The strong current swept away four people: children Mitan Dhruv (5), Gauri Dhruv (13), Muskan Dhruv (13), and her father Balram Dhruv (45).

A rescue operation involving the State Disaster Response Force, police, and revenue officials began around 6 pm. The children’s bodies were recovered late at night, while the man’s body was found the next morning. All bodies were sent to the Community Health Centre in Kota for post-mortem and legal procedures.