The bodies of all 12 individuals who drowned during an idol immersion in the Utangan River on Dussehra have been recovered, concluding a massive five-day rescue operation, officials confirmed on Tuesday.
The tragedy occurred on October 2 in the Khairagarh area, when 13 youths went to immerse a Durga idol. One of them, identified as Vishnu, was rescued immediately, while the remaining 12 were swept away by the river’s current.
Agra Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar told PTI that the 124-hour operation, involved personnel from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), Army, Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC), local police, and divers.
"The operation was particularly difficult as the bodies were trapped in deep pits and cavities in the middle of the river," Kumar said.
"Temporary diversion of the river's flow was arranged to assist rescue teams."
The deceased were identified as, Sachin (14), Deepak (15), Manoj (15), Abhishek (16), Vinesh (19), Oke (19), Gajendra (20), Karan (21), Haresh (22), Bhagwati (23), Gagan (25), and Ompal (35).
Eight bodies have been cremated, while post-mortem procedures were conducted for the rest.
The incident occurred after the youths placed the idol in shallow water and moved further into the river.
One of them slipped into a 25-foot-deep pit formed by illegal sand mining, dragging others in. Nearby cavities were also found to be about 15 feet deep, making rescue operations even more complex.
Further investigations are underway.
(With inputs from PTI)