Patna: A 45-year-old man died after an SUV plunged into a 20-feet-deep pond near Raipura Chemical Factory under Rajaun police station area in Banka district late Friday night. His body was recovered after an extensive rescue operation involving local residents and police personnel.The deceased was identified as Kamal Kishore, a resident of B Kothi area in Purnia district.According to eyewitnesses, the SUV was moving at high speed near the chemical factory when its driver lost control and the vehicle plunged into the pond. It was heading towards Purnia, said police.The accident came to light when Kailash Singh, a resident of Wade Hasanpur village, was returning home late at night. He noticed the vehicle’s headlights glowing beneath the water and raised an alarm. Villagers rushed to the spot and informed the police.As the SUV had completely submerged, local residents joined the rescue operation. Yogesh Pandit and Rajesh Sah of Dhobi Deeh village, along with Kailash Singh, repeatedly dived into the pond to search for occupants. After considerable effort, they recovered the body of one man.A crane was later arranged to pull out the SUV, which was retrieved around 12.30am. All four windows of the vehicle were found broken.Police recovered puja-related materials, sweets and documents linked to Purnia from the vehicle. It was also found without a number plate.Local residents claimed that two people were travelling in the SUV, but the presence of a second occupant could not be established.Sub-inspector Shubham Kumar of Rajaun police station said the deceased worked as a driver in an automobile agency. He was returning from Dhanbad with a new vehicle for the agency in Purnia when the accident occurred.
