Bhopal, Sep 25 (IANS) Six youths were killed or feared drowned in two separate incidents in Madhya Pradesh on Friday while immersing Ganesh idols on Anant Chaturdashi.
In Bhind district, three teenagers aged around 16–17 years drowned while immersing a Ganesh idol in the Kwari River at Kanavar village under Umri police station limits. The incident occurred between 4.30 pm and 5 pm after villagers had completed the havan and puja rituals and reached the river for immersion.
According to police, the three youths entered a deeper section of the river and drowned. Eyewitnesses raised an alarm, after which villagers who knew how to swim entered the river to search for them. However, they could not locate the youths because of the water’s depth and strong current.
The missing youths were identified as Krishna Bhadauria, Abhijit Bhadauria and Madan Bhadauria, all residents of Kanavar village. After receiving information, Umri Station House Officer (SHO) Brijendra Singh Sengar reached the spot with police personnel. SDOP Ravindra Vaskale also visited the site and took stock of the rescue efforts. Police have summoned a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team to search for the youths, and the operation was underway.
In a separate incident in Dhar district, three youths drowned in a pond on Dolchi Road in Badnawar while immersing a Ganesh idol. Residents pulled them out of the water and rushed them to the Badnawar Civil Hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
The deceased were identified as Pawan alias Kanha Rathore (19), Rahul Prajapat (20) and Nihal Bhambhi (21). The incident triggered panic in the area, with the families of the deceased and a large number of residents gathering at the hospital.
–IANS
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