Gonda/Fatehpur (UP), Oct 20 Four people died and three youths went missing in separate drowning incidents during Durga idol immersion in Gonda and Fatehpur on Tuesday, police said.
In Gonda, one person died and three youths went missing in separate drowning incidents, while three teenagers drowned in Fatehpur in a similar incident.
Superintendent of Police Abhishek said in the first incident in Gonda, five youths — Pradeep (20), Raghuvar (19), Sumit Prajapati (20), Abhishek Tiwari (18) and Ram Vilas Prajapati (18) from Bhairampur village — began drowning in the Tedhi river near Laxmanpur in the Tarabganj area while immersing an idol.
While Pradeep (20) managed to come out safe, local residents rescued Raghuvar and Sumit, and Abhishek and Vilas, are missing. Police said Sumit later died during treatment, while Pradeep and Raghuvar are undergoing treatment at a private hospital.
Sub-Divisional Magistrate Savita Shukla said the incident occurred at a spot that was not a designated immersion ghat and the organisers had neither obtained permission nor informed the administration.
Additional Superintendent of Police Abhishek Dvachya said in a separate incident at Bhainsahwa Ghat on the Kuano river in Dhanepur area, Tularam Shukla went missing while attempting to rescue four people who were drowning. The four, Daddan (35), Prince (22), Deepak (23) and Uttam (22), had entered deep water during the immersion procession. The officer said Tularam attempted to rescue them but went missing. Police said local residents saved the four.
In Fatehpur, three teenagers drowned and two others were rescued after they entered a pond to bathe following Durga idol immersion in Chak Katoghan village.
The deceased were identified as Aditya Sahu (19), Raja Sahu (18) and Abhimanyu Sahu (16), all residents of Chak Katoghan village. Local residents rescued the two others, Harsh and Yashwant.
Police said after doctors gave them initial treatment at a community health centre, they were sent to the district hospital. Fatehpur’s Superintendent of Police (SP) Abhimanyu Manglik told PTI that the immersion of two Durga idols installed in Khushiyaripur hamlet was scheduled at Naubasta Ghat, which comes under the Sultanpur police station area.
However, some devotees took one idol to a village pond and immersed it there instead of at the designated site, SP added. Police appealed to devotees to immerse idols only at designated sites and avoid bathing in ponds and other water bodies during immersion ceremonies.
(PTI News)
