Lucknow, 23 Sep (IANS) A major tragedy took place in Lucknow’s Mohanlalganj area during the immersion of Ganpati idol, as three young men who stepped into the Sai River near the Jabrela Bridge for the immersion, were swept away by the strong current, leaving them drowned within seconds.
One of the bodies was recovered, while the search for two others continued until Wednesday.
After local divers’ efforts proved unsuccessful, the SDRF and NDRF teams took charge of the search operation. Multiple police personnel were also deployed at the spot as the search for the other two men continued.
Family members, grief-stricken by the incident, gathered at the riverbank with other villagers.
Anoop Singh, Sisendi Outpost In-charge, summoned divers from Ganga Ghat to speed up the search process. The NDRF team has recovered Dheeraj’s body, which has been sent for a post-mortem examination. The search for the other two youths is ongoing.
The incident happened at around 5 PM on Tuesday, when hundreds of devotees from the Koriyani neighborhood of Sisendi set out with a Ganesh idol, accompanied by music and fanfare, for the immersion in the river. Upon reaching the Jabrela Bridge, Hariprasad (40), Dheeraj (35), and Pramod (22), all residents of Sisendi, stepped into the Sai River with the idol.
Reports suggest the three men drifted into a deeper section of the river during the immersion. As the current was extremely strong, they lost their balance and began to drown. Their companions made desperate attempts to save them, but the youths’ heads were seen above the water only twice before they vanished into the swift current.
Seeing the youths being swept away, some villagers on the bank rushed towards the river with bamboo poles to attempt a rescue. However, people standing on the bridge stopped them from entering the water, noting the ferocious current and depth, to prevent further tragedies.
–IANS
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