18-Year-Old Swept Away in Delhi Drain Amid Heavy Rain, Search Underway

New Delhi: An 18-year-old man went missing after being swept away by rainwater in a drain while crossing it amid heavy downpour in southeast Delhi's Priyanka Camp area, triggering a large-scale search operation by rescue teams, police said.

The incident took place on Friday evening near the Priyanka Camp Nala in Madanpur Khadar within the Sarita Vihar police station limits, and the missing person has been identified as Ankit, a resident of Bhim Colony, police said.

A PCR call was received at the Sarita Vihar police station on Friday evening informing that a youth got swept away in a drain, following which a team was sent to the spot, they said.

Ankit's friend Manish, who was present at the time of the incident, told police that they were returning home from Noida when Ankit accidentally slipped into the drain after losing his balance and got swept away by the strong flow of water.

Police launched a search operation with the help of rescue teams from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority and the Delhi Fire Service. However, despite sustained efforts, Ankit could not be traced till Saturday, police said, adding that the search operation was still underway.

The incident occurred amid heavy rainfall in Delhi-NCR, which led to waterlogging and a rise in the flow of drains and other water channels at several places.