Joyous conclusion to the Navratri celebrations turned into a scene of chaos and grief on Thursday in Agra and Siddharthnagar district as incidents of drowning and electrocution emerged from the areas during Durga idol immersion.
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed his grief over these incidents and has asked the district authorities to take prompt action to provide relief.
A report said that more than 15 youths drowned in two separate incidents during Durga idol immersion in Agra on Thursday.
Rescue teams have recovered three bodies, while one youth has been rescued in critical condition. However, 12 people remain missing, prompting a large-scale rescue operation by SDRF and NDRF teams.
The first incident occurred in Kheragarh where 14 youths were swept away in the strong currents of the Dungarwala Untgan river. The tragedy took place around 2:30 PM when a group entered the river with the idol. While women waited on the riverbank, the young men proceeded into the deeper waters, unaware of the danger ahead.
Suddenly, the group began drowning, and chaos ensued. Despite immediate rescue efforts, most of the boys were carried away by the river’s swift current. The police, including Station Officer Madan Singh who jumped into the river himself, managed to rescue one boy, Bhola, who is currently in serious condition.
Three bodies have been recovered so far, and among the deceased are brothers Haresh (20) and Gagan (17), both from Kusiyapur village.
In the second incident at Karbana village in the Tajganj area, two youths went missing after five of them entered the river. Fortunately, three managed to swim to safety. A video of the tragic moment has surfaced online.
In response to the tragedy, the District Magistrate has ordered all schools in Kheragarh to remain closed on Friday.
Meanwhile, in another incident in Siddharthnagar, as during the Durga idol immersion procession at Thothari Chauraha, a pickup truck carrying the idol came in contact with a high-tension wire, leading to a serious accident.
According to eyewitnesses, the decorative pipe attached to the top of the pickup truck touched an overhead 11,000-volt power line, causing the entire vehicle to become electrified. Ten people riding on the pickup suffered severe burns.
Locals rushed to the scene and quickly transported the injured to the Loten Community Health Center. Due to the critical condition of the victims, doctors referred all of them to the district medical college for advanced treatment.
The injured have been identified as Pawan Kumar Kannaujia (13), Magane Paswan (11), Pankaj Gupta (8), Aditya Kasodhan (17), Sudhir Paswan (10), Ankush Paswan (5), Angad Paswan (7), Sunny Gaur (15), Bablu Paswan (23) and Golu Pandey (18) from Karmaeni village.
The mishap occurred during a vibrant procession in which local youths had mounted the idol and a DJ system on the pickup truck. The tragic incident cast a pall of sorrow over the community celebrations.
District Magistrate Dr Raja Ganpati R and local MLA Shyamdhani Rahi visited the hospital to check on the victims. Authorities assured that full medical support and necessary aid would be provided to the injured.