Five feared drowned near waterfall in MP's Shivpuri district

Five holidaymakers were swept away while bathing near Sultangarh Waterfall in Shivpuri district of Madhya Pradesh this afternoon, police said.

Twenty-seven others were stranded on rocks downstream, and eight of them have been rescued so far, police said, adding that a team of National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) had reached the spot.

The waterfall is located in Subhashpura area bordering Gwalior district.

"It is feared that five persons were swept away," said district Superintendent of Police R Hingankar.

A helicopter was pressed into service to rescue others who were trapped on two big rocks in the water downstream.

Eight of the 27 stranded persons have been rescued, Shivpuri Collector Shilpa Gupta told PTI over phone from the spot.

Tourists thronged the place today due to the Independence Day holiday.

The waterfall is near Mohana village, 55 km from the district headquarters.

There was a sudden surge in water around 4.30 PM, possibly due to heavy rain upstream, catching those bathing near the waterfall unawares, police said.

Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said in a tweet that efforts were on to rescue those stranded, and he was in constant touch with local officials.