An 18-year-old youth identified as Ankit was swept away in an overflowing drain in Delhi’s Priyanka Camp area on Friday evening amid torrential rain. He is yet to be traced, while search teams continue
efforts to locate him.
Ankit, the elder of his parents’ two children, was returning home to southeast Delhi after finishing his work at a company in Noida when he slipped and fell into the drain.
Ankit Swept Away Near Sarita Vihar
The incident took place around 8 pm in the Priyanka Camp area under the limits of Sarita Vihar police station.
According to family members and local residents, Ankit was returning home from work when he reached an open drain near a bridge in Sarita Vihar. Residents said the drain is usually not very deep, but heavy rainfall had caused water to flow through it at great speed.
Witnesses said several people at the spot tried to stop Ankit from attempting to cross near the bridge. However, he was reportedly in a hurry to reach home and decided to jump across from the side of the structure to save time.
He lost his footing during the attempt and fell into the drain.
Residents said the strong current swept him away within moments, leaving people at the spot unable to see where he had gone.
Search Operation Halted Due To Darkness
Ankit’s father, Sunil, said he immediately dialled 100 after receiving information about the incident. Police personnel and divers reached the spot on Friday night, but the search operation could not continue because of darkness. Sunil said officials informed the family that the search would resume the following morning.
Delhi: An 18-year-old youth, identified as Ankit, was swept away in a drain in the Priyanka Camp area under Sarita Vihar Police Station during heavy rain on Friday evening. He is yet to be traced. His father has appealed to the administration to find his son, who is the elder of… pic.twitter.com/BzeUGxfLl8
— IANS (@ians_india) August 8, 2026
More than 12 hours after the incident, teams, including NDRF personnel and divers, continued searching for Ankit. However, he had not been traced till the time of reporting.
Sunil has appealed to the administration to intensify efforts to locate his son.
Ankit Was Returning From His Noida Workplace
Family members said Ankit worked as a pantry worker at A1 Silverstein Service Measurement in Sector 62, Noida. He had completed his day’s work and was on his way home when he slipped near the drain and fell into the water.
For his family, the routine journey home has turned into an anxious wait as search teams continue looking for him.
Locals Raise Concerns Over Open Drain
The incident has also raised concerns over safety measures around open drains in the area.
Bhagwan Jha, the Up-Pradhan of the colony, said residents had repeatedly raised the issue of the open drain with authorities but no action had been taken.
Jha, who said he was present when the incident happened, recalled that people at the spot could not help Ankit after he fell into the fast-moving water.
Heavy Rain Causes Waterlogging Across Delhi-NCR
The incident came as torrential rain lashed Delhi and the National Capital Region on Friday, causing widespread waterlogging, traffic congestion and emergency situations in several areas.
Some of the worst flooding was reported on South Delhi’s MB Road near the Air Force Station, where water levels reportedly rose to nearly four feet. Several vehicles were left stranded, severely disrupting traffic movement.
Okhla Mor, Khanpur, Deoli, Ambedkar Nagar and Sangam Vihar also witnessed severe waterlogging. Several motorcycles and autorickshaws reportedly broke down after entering flooded stretches, while Air Force trucks assisted movement in some inundated areas.
The India Meteorological Department said moderate to heavy rainfall was expected to continue through Friday before easing from Saturday, with only light rain likely over the following two days.
