Man swept away while crossing swollen river in Satna

Bhopal: A 40-year-old grocery shop owner was swept away and drowned while attempting to cross a swollen watercourse on a motorcycle in Satna district late on Friday night. Two others travelling with him managed to survive.The deceased was identified as Lavkesh Gupta, who ran a grocery shop in a nearby market. Police said Gupta and a friend had taken a lift from a villager on a motorcycle when all three were swept away while attempting to cross the swollen watercourse in the Nagod area. The motorcycle was also washed away.Nagod police station in charge Manoj Soni told TOI that the two survivors managed to come out of the strong current and alerted villagers and police about the incident. A search operation was launched during the night, but rescuers could not trace Gupta.The search resumed on Saturday, when SDRF personnel found Gupta’s body entangled in bushes around 500 metres from the crossing point. His relatives reached the spot and identified the body.Police said the motorcycle was also recovered from the watercourse.The incident comes amid heavy monsoon flows in the region, with several streams and rivers witnessing a sharp rise in water levels. Police have advised people to avoid crossing swollen watercourses, particularly on two-wheelers, during periods of strong current.