Mandla (Madhya Pradesh): Three youths drowned in the Narmada River on Saturday in Mandla district’s Ramnagar area while bathing, causing deep sorrow in their village.
The incident happened at the Ramnagar Narmada Ghat under the Hirdnagar police post limits.
The deceased were identified as Shivam Uikey (31), Rakesh Uikey (24), and Naveen Uikey (18).
According to information, all three were relatives and residents of Rampuri Kachhari village in Nenpur Tehsil.
According to reports, a group of nine friends had come from Rampuri village to visit Ramnagar. After touring the Ramnagar Palace, they decided to bathe in the river.
During this, Shivam, Rakesh, and Naveen went into deep water and were swept away by the strong current.
They tried to save each other but were overpowered by the river’s flow and drowned.
After receiving the information, ASI Shivshankar Rajput from Hirdnagar police post reached the spot. A rescue operation was launched immediately by a joint team of SDERF (State Disaster Emergency Response Force), police, and local divers, led by District Home Guard Commandant Naresh Sahu and Platoon Commander Hemraj Paraste.
By evening, all three bodies were recovered and sent for postmortem. Police have started an investigation into the incident.
Locals said the three youths were the main earners for their families. Due to the tragedy, the village is silent, and families are deeply shocked.
Eyewitnesses said that during summer, large numbers of people come to the Narmada River to cool off, but there are no proper safety arrangements. They added that even though the ghat was crowded, no lifeguards or safety officers were present. Villagers are demanding stricter safety measures along rivers to prevent such accidents in the future.
District Home Guard Officer Naresh Sahu confirmed that a rescue team rushed to the spot as soon as they received the alert. Divers and all required resources were used in the operation, and the bodies were handed over to the police.
