In two separate but related incidents in East Delhi’s Sonia Vihar area, a BJP leader drowned while feeding fish in the Yamuna river, and another man lost his life after his motorcycle collided with a fire brigade van, Delhi Police said on Saturday.
The fire brigade van was rushing to rescue the BJP leader when it collided with a motorcycle, resulting in the death of the rider, identified as 18-year-old Rohit Pal from 5th Pushta, Sonia Vihar.
A senior police officer said that following the accident, the victim was immediately taken to Jag Pravesh Chandra Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
According to reports, on Saturday morning, Kuldeep Nainwal, former Mandal President of Karawal Nagar BJP, had gone to the banks of the Yamuna to feed fish when he slipped and fell into deep water.
Upon receiving the information, a fire department team rushed to the scene for the rescue; however, on the way, their fire engine collided with a motorcycle.
Police said the fire tender was dispatched around 8:30 am after receiving a call from the authorities.
A police officer stated, “While heading towards Pushta Road near Chauhan Patti, the fire tender driver saw a speeding motorcyclist approaching from the opposite direction. In an attempt to avoid a collision, the driver swerved to the left, causing the vehicle to hit a roadside wall, but the accident could not be avoided.”
Meanwhile, a joint rescue operation involving the police, fire department, and disaster management teams is underway to locate the missing BJP leader.
“The body of the man who drowned has not been recovered yet. Search efforts are ongoing, while the motorcyclist’s body has been sent to the mortuary for a post-mortem,” the officer said.
The officer added that a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) has been registered at Sonia Vihar police station, and further investigation is in progress.