Amroha: A man drowned while another went missing after the car they were travelling in plunged into a canal here, police said on Thursday.
The rescue operations are still going on since the incident on Wednesday night, they added.
According to police, three men from the same family — Narendra (28), Guddu (25) and Ravindra, all residents of Ali Nagar village under Gajraula police station area of the district, were headed to a village in Bijnor district on Wednesday.
When they were near Deengra village in Dhanaura area, the driver lost control of the vehicle and it fell into the overflowing Ramganga feeder canal below from the overbridge.
Ravindra managed to swim away to safety while Narendra and Guddu were swept away with the car amid the fast flowing currents.
After reaching shore, Ravindra asked for help from local villagers and a police team also reached the spot a little later.
As rescue work started, local divers went into the canal in search of the missing duo and Narendra was found dead 50 metres away from the spot with the mangled car also recovered, police said.
Police divers could not be managed and annoyed villagers staged a protest by blocking the road near the canal. They demanded police thoroughly search the canal and find the missing person — Guddu.
The car was later removed from the canal with the help of an earthmover.
Circle Officer of Dhanaura police station Satendra Kumar said one man was found dead around 50 metres away from the accident spot and rescue work is continuing in hope of finding the other person.
Villagers, though, said the lives could have been saved had rescue operations started earlier and alleged that police did not come on time to the spot.