After three days of relentless rainfall, the skies over Vidarbha finally cleared on Wednesday afternoon. However, the damage left behind was severe. Flooding rivers and overflowing streams caused widespread devastation across Nagpur, Wardha, Yavatmal, Gadchiroli, and Gondia districts. Five individuals were swept away by strong water currents, and in a separate tragic incident in Gondia, a tree collapsed on a moving car, killing two people on the spot and injuring three others seriously. Rescue teams, including police and the State Disaster Response Force, worked tirelessly through Wednesday night to locate missing individuals and provide emergency assistance.
In Nagpur’s Kalmeshwar area, 18-year-old Karthik Shivshankar Ladse from Uppalwadi was swept away while attempting to cross a stream early Wednesday morning near Borgav Ugale. His body was later recovered by authorities. In another tragic event in Boragaon Bujurg, under the Savner police limits, 35-year-old Anil Hanumant Panpatte was washed away while crossing a swollen stream. Search and rescue teams continued to look for him late into the night. These back-to-back incidents have sparked serious concerns over the safety of rural roads and water crossings during the monsoon.
In Wardha’s Karanja taluka, Prafull Shendre (35) from Bodrathan village was drowned while crossing a flooded stream. Yavatmal district also reported a similar tragedy from Dhanora village in the Zari-Jamni taluka, where 35-year-old Satish Durgawar was washed away en route to his farm. He lost his balance while attempting to cross the overflowing stream. His family raised the alarm when he did not return, and a search operation is still ongoing. In Gadchiroli’s Armori taluka, Raju Tumram from Deshpur village went missing in the floodwaters near Vadda village while returning from his farmland. Search teams are deployed.
Meanwhile, Gondia district witnessed a fatal accident due to the weather's aftermath. On the Gondia–Sadak Arjuni road, a roadside tree collapsed onto a car, instantly killing Vasudev Masaram Khedkar (60) and Anand Maniram Raut (50), both from Sadak-Arjuni. The impact left three more people seriously injured—Ritik Rajesh Dighore (22), Raju Rupalal Chauragade (46), and Anil Ramkishan Chaudhary (46). They are currently receiving treatment at the Sadak-Arjuni Rural Hospital. The incident briefly brought traffic to a halt along the route, highlighting the hidden dangers that continue to linger even after heavy rains cease.
Adding to the grim situation, a deeply upsetting scene unfolded in Yavatmal district’s Umarkhed taluka. In Januna Varudbibi village, poor road conditions worsened by heavy rains left an elderly man, 67-year-old Baburao Mendke, stranded without access to medical transport. Due to the muddy and impassable roads, his family was forced to carry him to the hospital on a cot. The incident sparked public outrage and brought to light the neglected infrastructure in rural areas during monsoon emergencies. Residents have demanded urgent government intervention to ensure access to healthcare and improved road connectivity in these vulnerable regions.