Son River Tragedy in Sidhi: Three Girls and Youth Missing, One Body Recovered
A picnic outing turned tragic after three girls and a youth went missing in the Son river at Bhanwarsen Ghat in Madhya Pradesh's Sidhi district on Monday afternoon. While the body of one of the girls was recovered during a search operation, efforts were on till late evening to trace the remaining three.
The incident took place under Rampur Naikin police station limits when a group from Maihar district came to the riverbank along with family members for a picnic. According to police, the family members were sitting on the banks while the girls entered the river for a bath. One of them was reportedly clicking pictures moments before the accident.
Officials said one of the girls suddenly started drowning after entering a deep whirlpool-like patch in the river. The others rushed in to help but were also swept away by the strong current. A local youth from the Kewat community, who was present nearby, jumped into the river in an attempt to rescue them, but he too went missing.
Dangerous Stretch of Son River
The Son river stretch near Bhanwarsen Ghat is considered dangerous because of deep whirlpools and strong currents. The river is also known for the presence of gharials, adding to concerns during rescue operations. During the search operation, the body of Jyoti Sen, 24, a resident of Budha Baur village in Maihar district, was recovered nearly half a kilometre away from the spot. The three others missing were identified as Subhi Sen, 15, Neelu Bais, 22, both from Maihar district, and Lakhan Kewat, 26, a local.
“The girls came with their families for a picnic. The family members were sitting on the banks while the girls were taking a bath. One of them was clicking pictures when one of the girls started drowning. The others also followed. A local youth who was present jumped into the river in an attempt to save them, but he, too, is missing. So far, the body of one girl could be found. The search for others continued till late evening,” Sidhi SP Santosh Kori told TOI.
