A car fell into a canal under suspicious circumstances near Baijalpur village in Fatehabad district on Thursday, following which the driver was swept away in the strong water current.The incident took place on the embankment between the Sidhmukh Bhakra canal and the Fatehabad-Sirsa branch canal in the Bhuna area.
According to locals, a youth working in nearby fields saw the car suddenly plunge into the canal and immediately raised an alarm, following which the villagers from Baijalpur rushed to the spot.
The villagers and police launched rescue efforts to pull out the car and save the driver. Thepolice said the vehicle bore registration number HR-56C-4483.
As the car began sinking in the canal, the villagers broke open its windows in an attempt to rescue the driver. However, due to the strong water flow, the driver was swept away, creating panic at the spot.
SHO Om Prakash Bishnoi reached the scene along with a police team and said divers had been called to assist in the rescue operation. A hydra machine was also being used to pull the vehicle out of the canal.
The police said search operations were continuing in nearby areas to trace the missing driver. According to the villagers, the driver was washed away while being pulled out of the vehicle. As a precautionary measure, a net was installed near a bridge at Gorakhpur village to help locate him.
The search operation involving police personnel, divers and local residents continued till late evening.
