Venkatesh Duppalapudi, a 33-year-old Indian student and IT professional, was killed after his car was swept away in severe floodwaters in Kansas, US.
The deceased was reportedly driving back from Houston on Saturday afternoon when his vehicle encountered flash flooding caused by severe storms that dropped more than 6 inches of rain across south-central Kansas.
Doppalapudi was on an H-1B visa and resided in Omaha, Nebraska, news agency PTI reported.
The Consulate General of India in Houston expressed its condolences on the death of the 33-year-old, and said that it was working to provide all possible assistance to the bereaved family.
Read also | Who is Venkatesh Dopalode? An Indian man from Andhra Pradesh was found dead in Kansas
In a post on the
She added, “The consulate is in close contact with the family of the deceased and is coordinating with the relevant authorities to provide all possible assistance. May God have mercy on him.”
The Sumner County Sheriff’s Office said emergency units responded to the scene of an accident in the 600 block of South Oliver Road near Wellington, Kansas, after witnesses reported a vehicle submerged near a bridge, with a person trapped inside.
Initially, strong currents of floodwaters prevented rescue teams from safely entering the water. However, after a massive search by multiple agencies, including a Kansas Highway Patrol unit and police drones, Doppalabuddi’s remains were recovered on Sunday.
Heavy flooding left many people and vehicles stranded in south-central Kansas.
Sedgwick County Emergency Management Director Julie Stimson said dispatchers received 112 calls overnight one day last week, with many vehicles abandoned and towed, local media outlet 12News reported.
Residents were reminded not to go around barricades and stay out of floodwaters, pointing to the situation near Clearwater where a downed power pole was floating on the water.
