3 NIT Silchar students missing after falling into waterfall in Assam; rescue underway

Locals said that a group of students had gone to Boulsol waterfall, about 55 km from the NIT Silchar campus, on Saturday afternoon. One allegedly slipped and fell, 2 others fell trying to rescue her

Silchar: Three first-year students of the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Silchar went missing on Saturday after reportedly falling into a waterfall in Harangajao village in Assam’s Dima Hasao district, police said.

The incident was reported around 2 pm, and a search operation is underway, police added. (Representative photo)

The incident was reported around 2 pm, and a search operation is underway, police added.

According to locals, a group of students had gone to the Boulsol waterfall, about 55 km from the NIT Silchar campus, on Saturday afternoon. One of the girl students allegedly slipped and fell into the water, and two others fell while trying to rescue her, they said.

Authorities at NIT Silchar confirmed that all three missing persons are students of the institute. The students had gone there for a Saturday outing, an institute official said, requesting anonymity.

The Dean of Students’ Welfare, S. S. Dhar, told HT that they could not yet confirm the identities of the students, but added that a team from the institute was on its way to the site.

“Our team is on the spot, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams are arriving from Haflong and Silchar,” additional superintendent of police (crime) for Dima Hasao district, Farukh Ahmed, said.

The Barak Valley region of Assam and the Dima Hasao district are home to several scenic waterfalls. Similar incidents have been reported in the past; a few years ago, two students of Assam University lost their lives after falling into a waterfall in Cachar district.