Tinsukia: A pall of gloom descended on the first day of Rongali Bihu after eight persons, including a brother-sister and a minor, drowned in four separate incidents in Assam on Wednesday.
In one incident in Dibrugarh, two youths drowned in Burhidehing at Lezai Bahbari under Barbaruah police station. “The victims had gone to wash their cattle on the occasion of Goru Bihu when they slipped into the river and drowned,” a source said
The deceased were identified as Sanu Khanikar and Shirumoni Bora.
“State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel fished out the body of Khanikar while Bora’s body could not be located,” the source said, adding “The SDRF team has launched a search operation.”
The two other incidents were reported from Bishwanath Charali.
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In one incident, Bhargab Prateem Mantri died trying to save his younger sister Akanya Mantri, who drowned while taking a bath in Ghiladhari river at Purani Gaon in Sootea. Three other youths drowned in the same river at Sootea.
Sources said three youths – Mausam Ojah, Bikas Hazarika and Abhijit Ojah – went missing while bathing in the Ghiladhari river. “All the five bodies were recovered by the villagers,” the source added.
Biswanath Superintendent of Police could not be reached for comments.
In another incident, a minor died after falling into the Brahmaputra River at Kharguli in Guwahati.
The minor belonged to the Kharguli Beltol area. “The body of Nandan Saikia, 12, was recovered by a team of the SDRF,” another source added.
