New Delhi: In a heart-wrenching incident late Friday night, two bank employees tragically lost their lives after their SUV became submerged in a flooded underpass in Old Faridabad. The victims, Punyashreya Sharma, the branch manager of HDFC Bank in Gurugram's Sector 31, and Viraj Dwivedi, a cashier at the same branch, were returning home to Faridabad when they encountered severe flooding due to continuous heavy rains in the National Capital Region (NCR).

The incident occurred when the Mahindra XUV700 they were traveling in entered the Old Faridabad railway underpass, which had been inundated with water from the recent torrential downpour. Despite visible warning signs of flooding, the duo proceeded into the underpass, where their vehicle quickly became trapped as the water levels rose.

Efforts to rescue the victims were hampered by the high water levels. Both men attempted to escape the SUV and swim to safety, but they were overwhelmed by the conditions. Rescue teams arrived at the scene shortly after the vehicle became submerged. Sharma's body was recovered from the vehicle, but Dwivedi's body was found only after an extensive search that lasted until early Saturday morning.

The local police had to halt traffic at the underpass, and a dewatering process is currently underway to remove the excess water. The area has been grappling with severe waterlogging and traffic congestion due to the relentless rains that have affected much of the NCR.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) had issued an orange alert for heavy to very heavy rainfall for Thursday and Friday, attributing the severe weather to a depression over southwest Uttar Pradesh. Rainfall in Delhi this month has exceeded 1,000 mm, marking the highest levels since 2021 and the second highest in at least a decade.

As the rain continued into Saturday, a yellow alert was issued for moderate rainfall. The ongoing weather conditions have caused significant disruptions across the region, including traffic snarls in key areas such as Hero Honda chowk, Rajiv chowk, and IFFCO chowk in Gurugram.

The tragic event underscores the dangers posed by extreme weather conditions and serves as a stark reminder of the importance of heeding weather warnings and exercising caution in adverse weather situations.