5 Dead After Being Washed Away During Heavy Rains In UP

Five people including four women and a child died after being washed away during heavy rain and hailstorm in Uttar Pradesh's Sonbhadra, the police said.

The dead have been identified as Geeta Devi, Santra, Rajkumari, Yashodiya and Rajpati.

The incident took place on the intervening night of Friday and Saturday.

According to police, six people including four women and two children had gone out on Friday evening and did not return.

After waiting for hours, their relatives approached the police and went to search for them.

Upon receiving the missing information, a team of police started the search operation and recovered four bodies including three women, and one child on the banks of the river in the early hours of Saturday.

The body of the fifth woman was recovered in the Rampur Barkonia police station area.

"From village Garhwa, 4 women and 2 children had gone to collect wood when heavy rain lashed. They went to take cover, and during this, the hailstorm water from mountains washed away these 5 people with force leading to their death," Kalu Singh, Additional SP, Sonbhadra said on Saturday.

ASP added that the bodies of all five victims have been discovered, and sent for post-mortem examination.

Further investigation into the matter is underway.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)