Three Children Drown While Crossing River in Chhattisgarh
Three children from a family drowned after being swept away while crossing the Ghongha River in Chhattisgarh's Bilaspur district, police said on Sunday. The incident occurred on Saturday when the children, along with their 14-year-old cousin, were returning home from school.
The deceased were identified as Anmol Jaiswal (6), his sister Stuti (7), and their cousin Shiksha (6), according to Avnish Paswan, station house officer of Takhatpur police station. Reports also identified them as Anmol Jaiswal, his sister Siddhi Jaiswal, and their cousin Riddhi Jaiswal. Anmol and Siddhi were children of Bhuneshwar Jaiswal, while Riddhi was the daughter of Vijay Jaiswal.
The children were returning from the DP Vipra School in Nayapara, about 2 km from their village Samdeel, said SHO Paswan. Other reports said the children were students at a private school in neighbouring Nawapara village and were residents of Samdil village under Takhatpur block.
According to police, the teen, Rajendra Jaiswal, had a bicycle and suggested taking the river route as a shortcut instead of using a bridge. He got off the bicycle and began crossing the river on foot with the three children. Eyewitnesses said the water level appeared manageable when the children stepped onto a low-level anicut constructed across the river, but a sudden surge in the river's flow swept them away before they could react.
Anmol, Stuti, and Shiksha were swept away by the strong current, while Rajendra managed to reach the banks safely.
Villagers and police launched a search operation, and a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team was called in, the SHO said. Villagers gathered on the riverbank and alerted the local police. A search operation was launched immediately with the assistance of local residents.
"Stuti's body was recovered late Saturday evening from bushes about 50 metres from the spot, and the other two were found at Suri Ghat, around 1.5 km downstream, on Sunday morning," SHO Paswan said. Other reports said Riddhi's body was recovered late Saturday evening, and SDRF personnel resumed the search on Sunday morning and recovered the bodies of Anmol and Siddhi.
After post-mortem examinations, the bodies were handed over to the families. The last rites were held on Sunday in the village amid a solemn atmosphere.
Perspectives
Police Account
Station House Officer Avnish Paswan of Takhatpur police station provided details of the incident, including the school the children attended, the route they took, and the recovery timeline. He noted that Rajendra, the 14-year-old cousin, suggested the shortcut via the river and survived.
Eyewitness Account
Eyewitnesses reported that the water level seemed manageable when the children stepped onto the low-level anicut, but a sudden surge in the river's flow swept them away before they could react.
Rescue Operation
Villagers, local police, and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were involved in the search and recovery operation. The SDRF team was called in after the initial search by villagers and police.