GUWAHATI: The body of the second tourist from Kerala, who drowned in the frozen Sela Lake in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh on Friday, was recovered on Saturday morning, the police said.
The deceased, identified as Madhav M (26), was part of a seven-member group of tourists which was visiting the frontier state. Another member of the group, identified as Binu (24), also died in the accident.
The tragedy occurred when two members of the group had entered the lake, perched at an altitude of around 13,700 feet, to save another who was drowning.
Tawang Superintendent of Police DW Thongon told The New Indian Express that the body of Madhav was retrieved by a combined team of district police, State Disaster Response Force, Indian Army, Sashastra Seema Bal and Indo-Tibetan Border Police.
“After the conduct of post-mortem examinations, the bodies were handed over to their friends and relatives. The bodies are being taken to Guwahati (more than 350 km away) by road. They will then be possibly flown to Kerala for the last rites,” Thongon said.
A vehicle of the state’s Health Department was used in transporting the bodies to Guwahati. “The investigation is underway and we are hoping to get the post-mortem reports in two to three days,” the SP said.
He further stated that the district administration would write to the state government proposing to barricade the lake. Thongon was hopeful that the government would accept the proposal.
“Tourists become excited after arriving at scenic Sela. We often issue advisories. There are signages, advising them to stay off the frozen lake,” the SP added.
The Sela area has warning signboards, prohibiting walking or stepping onto frozen lakes as the ice could be unstable.
The incident occurred on Friday and the police received information about it after 3 pm. Subsequently, a joint search operation was launched. It had to be suspended soon after due to fading light and harsh weather conditions.
The five remaining members of the group of tourists were accommodated at Army camps in the area on Friday night.