NEW DELHI: The driver of a heavy oil tanker tried to make a dash to safety on a flooded road connecting Bijnor in western Uttar Pradesh with Uttarakhand, where the weather office has already cautioned people about heavy rain.
His judgement of the situation, however, proved to be wrong as strong currents swept away the heavy vehicle into a wide, muddy river.
A video shot by someone from the riverbank shows the oil tanker wobbling in the choppy waters of river Ghagra and its three occupants frantically trying to escape. The truck's windshields are missing.
Although the vehicle is half submerged, it appears the truck is floating on water. "Bharat Petroleum" is written in bold letters on the side of the vehicle in blue and yellow paint.
As the strong currents continue to pull the truck away from the riverbank and farther downriver, the people are seen running parallel to the truck to keep an eye on the panic-stricken men trapped inside.
A team of rescuers have arrived and are searching for the missing men.
A "heavy to very heavy rain" alert has been issued in Uttarakhand for the next two days by the regional weather office. The hill state is already receiving heavy rain; this time the warning is of a massive downpour in almost all the districts.
Dehradun and the districts of Uttarkashi and Udham Singh Nagar have been receiving heavy rain in the past 24 hours, forcing the district administration to step up monitoring.
Bajpur in Udham Singh Nagar district is facing a flood-like situation, an official said.
In Bajpur, water has started accumulating at many places and has become a major cause of concern. Most busy thoroughfares and localities like Teachers Colony, Beria Road and Ramraj Road are getting flooded with rainwater, the official said.