4 days later, girl feared drowned in Gr Noida remains untraced

An eight-year-old girl who is feared to have drowned in Greater Noida’s Kherli Canal on July 13 remains untraced despite four days of extensive search operations, police and rescue personnel said

An eight-year-old girl who is feared to have drowned in Greater Noida’s Kherli Canal on July 13 remains untraced despite four days of extensive search operations, police and rescue personnel said.

Photo for representation (Shutterstock)

According to police, the girl, a resident of a village in Dankaur, had gone to the Kherli Canal with her friends around 10am on July 13 to bathe. She entered the water and went missing, prompting fears that she may have drowned.

Her parents, who were at work at the time, learnt about the incident only after returning home in the evening and finding her clothes near the canal. The canal is about a kilometre from the girl’s home, and she would frequently visit the spot with her friends.

Police said they were informed by the family around 10pm, following which they alerted the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) and launched a search operation.

“We have recorded statements of her friends, who told us that she entered the water alone and did not resurface. Her clothes were also found nearby,” said Ravi Shanker, assistant commissioner of police, Greater Noida.

“Around 25 personnel from the NDRF and PAC have been continuously searching the canal and nearby areas to locate the child. However, she remains untraced even after four days,” Shanker said.

Police said search teams have covered a six-to-seven-kilometre stretch of the canal and alerted police and rescue personnel in adjoining districts.

“We have informed our counterparts in neighbouring districts, who are also searching for her,” Shanker said.

Police said the girl’s parents have been counselled and assured that every effort is being made to locate her.