New Delhi: The tragic incident took place on Sunday after nine people, including eight members of a family, died and two others went missing after their vehicle was swept away by the flooded Jaijon Choe, a seasonal rivulet located about 34 km from here, Police said.

The rivulet swelled due to the heavy rainfall that affected various parts of Punjab and other areas.

The family members were travelling in the SUV from Dehra near Mehatpur in the Una district of Himachal Pradesh to Mehrowal village in Punjab’s SBS Nagar district to attend a wedding, police said, PTI reported.

The SUV was crossing the Jaijon Choe, which was swollen due to heavy rain and their vehicle got swept away, the police said.

The police informed that some locals had even warned the driver not to cross the Jaijon choe because of the strong water current in the rivulet but he ignored it.

A viral video of the incident on social media showed that the vehicle was stuck in the flooded choe.

Hoshiarpur Deputy Commissioner Komal Mittal said that a team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) has been dispatched to aid in the rescue and search operations for the missing individuals.

Senior Superintendent of Police Surendra Lamba said that nine bodies, including those of five females, have been recovered from the rivulet. 

According to PTI, The family members of the deceased informed the police that there were twelve people in the SUV.