Divya Modi
Ranchi
In a tragic incident, as many as three villagers including two women were swept away due to a sudden rise in the water levels and strong currents of the Kulli Pahadi river in the Saranda area of West Singhbhum district.
The incident occurred when some villagers were returning home from a funeral on Sunday evening. Soon after the incident, the villagers launched a search on their own. The bodies of two were recovered late at night while a woman was still missing.
The deceased were all residents of the Bahada village and have been identified as Bosen Sidhu, father of village head Roya Sidhu. The latter’s mother who was also swept away was found trapped in the bushes along the riverbank around 500 meters from the spot where the incident occurred.
In the same incident, a woman named Sunita Sidhu, wife of Bamiya Sidhu was also swept away by the river’s strong current and despite a lengthy search she remained untraced.
A police team led by Chotanagpur Police Station In- charge Gautam Kumar arrived at the scene to search for Sunita Sidhu as police personnel and villagers searched possible locations along the river.
“The rescue operation is ongoing. Police and villagers are searching for the missing people. A continuous search is underway around the river,” said Kumar.
The search operation became increasingly difficult after nigh fall due to poor visibility. With continuous rain, the water current in the Kulia river was also strong making it extremely risky to enter the river.
According to villagers, all those involved had gone to attend a funeral in the illage on Sunday. While returning, they were crossing the Kulia river when a sudden surge of water came down from the hillside the water level rose rapidly and the current became so strong that the villagers were unable to cope with it. The weather and river conditions have made the search operations quite challenging.
