ITANAGAR: Two tourists from Kerala entered Arunachal Pradesh’s Sela Lake to rescue a group member who had fallen into the ice-covered lake on Friday afternoon, prompting authorities to launch a massive exercise to rescue them.
One of the two tourists, Dinu, 26, was found dead in the lake. Efforts to locate the second victim, Mahadev, 24, will resume on Saturday morning, said Tawang superintendent of police (SP) DW Thungon.
The two tourists were part of a seven-member group from Kerala that had travelled to Arunachal’s Tawang district via Guwahati.
The man who first ventured onto the frozen lake and fell, leading Dinu and Mahadev to try to help ing him, has survived, Thungon said. He was able to come out on his own.
Thungon said the incident occurred at 3 pm on Friday, after which a joint rescue operation was launched with personnel from the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).
“Despite difficult weather and terrain, one body was recovered. However, due to poor visibility and harsh conditions, the search for the missing tourist was suspended and will resume on Saturday at 8 am,” the SP said.
{{/usCountry}}“Despite difficult weather and terrain, one body was recovered. However, due to poor visibility and harsh conditions, the search for the missing tourist was suspended and will resume on Saturday at 8 am,” the SP said.
{{/usCountry}}Dinu’s body has been kept at the Jang Community Health Centre, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted on Saturday.
Thungon said there were signboards around the Sela Lake and other tourist spots, clearly prohibiting visitors from walking on frozen lakes. He said the district administration had issued an advisory on December 17, cautioning tourists that the ice layer may be unstable and unable to bear human weight.
Sela Lake, situated at an altitude of over 13,000 feet, is a major tourist attraction in Tawang district.