E-Paper
Six pilgrims to Ayodhya drown in Saryu; three more feared dead
The tragedy took place when three women of the 15-member group from Agra, who had come to Ayodhya for ‘Ram Lala’ darshan at Ram Janmbhoomi, went near the river and slipped into the water accidentally.
Six people were killed while three persons are feared to be drowned in heavy water current of river Saryu in Ayodhya on Friday.
The tragedy took place when three women of the 15-member group from Agra, who had come to Ayodhya for ‘Ram Lala’ darshan at Ram Janmbhoomi, went near the river and slipped into the water accidentally.
Nine other people jumped into the water to save them but also got swept in the high-water current, said senior police officials.
The divers could manage to rescue three persons, said public relation officer of SSP Ayodhya Shailesh Pandey. “Six others were pulled out later by the police divers during the rescue operation, but they succumbed during treatment at the hospital. Three people are still missing, and police divers are carrying out operation to search them,” he said.
Taking cognizance of the incident, chief minister Yogi Adityanath directed the local district administration to immediately reach the spot and provide all possible to help to the affected families.
Ayodhya district magistrate Anup Kumar Jha, who visited the spot, said all necessary arrangements had been done for the survivors.
Jha said total 15 people of four families from Agra had come to Ayodhya for ‘Ram Lala’ darshan at Ram Janmbhoomi. He said the incident took place around noon when the family visited the Gupta ghat and three women members of the group went near the river and slipped into the water.
He said the incident apparently took place as visitors could not assess the river depth at the bank and heavy water current. He said the extra police force had been deployed at the riverbanks to avert any further such incident. He said visitors are being asked to stay away from the river due to high water current at present.
