JAIPUR: Eight out of 11 men on a picnic in Rajasthan’s Tonk district drowned in the Banas River on Tuesday while trying to take a bath. The three others, who were rescued, are said to be in a stable condition.
Tonk Superintendent of Police Vikas Sangwan said that the deceased, all residents of Jaipur, were friends and aged between 25 and 30 years. Their bodies have been kept in the mortuary of Saadat Hospital.
Describing how the tragedy unfolded, he said, “Some youths ventured into the river to take a bath. But they started to drown after slipping into deep water. Some of their friends rushed to their rescue, but they drowned, too.”
Locals present on the spot alerted the cops, prompting the Tonk police, the district administration and an SDRF team to launch a rescue operation, which is still under way. Additional divers have been roped in as the efforts continue.
CM Bhajanlal Sharma, his predecessor Ashok Gehlot and ex-Deputy CM Sachin Pilot, who is also the Tonk MLA, condoled the loss of lives.