Delhi: Out for a swim, 3 minors drown in Yamuna, 1 saved

The bodies of three other boys -- identified as Somveer (16), Pankaj (15) and Sumit (15) -- were fished out from the river by the rescue team members and taken to a nearby hospital, where they were declared brought dead

Three minor boys, aged between 15 and 16, who had gone for a swim in the Yamuna, drowned in the river near Sur Ghat at Wazirabad on Sunday morning, even as local divers managed to rescue another boy who was part of the group. Police said all four were residents of Brijpuri in northeast Delhi.

A police team reached there and found that divers from the Boat Club had rescued one of the boys, Bunty (14). (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times)

Deputy commissioner of police (north) Anto Alphonse said a caller informed the police control room (PCR) at around 7.30am that four children were drowning in the river near Sur Ghat at Wazirabad.

A police team reached there and found that divers from the Boat Club had rescued one of the boys, Bunty (14).

The bodies of three other boys -- identified as Somveer (16), Pankaj (15) and Sumit (15) -- were fished out from the river by the rescue team members and taken to a nearby hospital, where they were declared brought dead. A police officer said Bunty is Somveer’s brother.

The officer said that all the four boys had left their homes around 5am for a morning walk in a nearby park, from where they went to Sur Ghat to swim in the Yamuna river. Since some construction related to the Delhi Metro was going on at their usual spot, the boys decided to take a dip at a spot further away.

Harish Kumar, who is the in-charge of the Boat Club at Civil Lines that comes under the office of the district magistrate (east), said that he received information about the drowning around 7.45 am, following which a rescue team on a motor boat, which was patrolling the river nearby, rushed to the area.

“Nine divers and a motor boat were involved in an hour-long rescue operation. While one boy was saved, the bodies of the other three were fished out from the river,” said Kumar.

Police said that the family members of the deceased were informed and the bodies were sent to a nearby government hospital for autopsy. The families did not allege foul play or file any complaint.

Pankaj is survived by his parents and three sisters while Sumit left behind his parents and two brothers, police said, adding that Somveer lived with his parents and two siblings, including Bunty.