River tragedy during idol immersion — 13 youths swept away, 9 still missing
Lucknow (The Uttam Hindu): A tragic accident occurred on Wednesday during the immersion of Durga idols in the Uttang River near Dungarwala, located in the Kheragarh police station area of Agra district, Uttar Pradesh. Thirteen youths from Kusiyapur village drowned in the deep waters, of which the bodies of three have been recovered. One youth has been hospitalized after being rescued, while a rescue operation is underway to find the remaining nine.
This incident has created silence in the entire area. The accident occurred around 1 pm. 40-50 villagers were present at the Chamunda Mata temple in Kusiyapur village to immerse the Durga idol. These included women, men and children. They all reached the river bank. The young men stopped the women and children on the bank and went down to immerse the idol in the river. Suddenly, due to the strong current, five young men started drowning in the deep water. Eight other young men jumped into the river to try to save them, but they too were swept away.
This caused widespread panic. According to a post from the office of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on the social media platform X, "The Chief Minister has expressed his deep condolences on the loss of life in an accident in Agra district. The Chief Minister has prayed to Lord Shri Ram for the peace of the departed souls and the speedy recovery of the injured and has expressed his condolences to the bereaved families."
On the other hand, upon receiving the information, the NDRF team and the water police launched a rescue operation. So far, the bodies of three people have been recovered. Another injured youth has been admitted to SN Medical College in critical condition, where he is undergoing treatment. Teams of divers are working around the clock to search for the remaining nine youths.
According to the local SDM, special arrangements were made for immersion in the river, but the sudden rise in water levels worsened the situation. Meanwhile, family members blocked the road on the river bank, waiting for the bodies. However, the police pacified the family members.