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According to an official, the deceased were part of a group of seven tourists, all from Kerala, who were travelling from Guwahati towards Tawang.
Written by Sukrita Baruah Guwahati | January 17, 2026 05:32 PM IST
3 min read
The Sela Lake is located at an altitude of over 13,000 feet above sea level. (Wikimedia Commons)
The bodies of two young tourists from Kerala have been retrieved from the high-altitude Sela Lake in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang, after three from their group fell in on Friday when the frozen surface of the lake cracked when they ventured on to it.
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The body of one of them, identified as Binu Prakas, 26, had been retrieved through rescue operations on Friday afternoon. The operation, suspended at 5 pm Friday once it got dark, and resumed at 8 am Saturday, involved the police, the State Disaster Response Force, the 24 Jat Regiment of the Indian Army, the Sashastra Seema Bal and the Indo Tibetan Border Police. The body of a second tourist, identified as Madhav M. (23) was retrieved at around 10 am Saturday. A case of unnatural death has been registered by Tawang police.
According to Tawang SP D.W. Thongon, they were part of a group of seven tourists, all from Kerala, who were travelling from Guwahati towards Tawang. He added that in their preliminary investigation, police had found that the two deceased had gone forward into the lake to try to rescue their friend, identified as Anandu, who had gone forward first and fallen in.
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“They had hired a traveller from Guwahati and had reached Sela Lake yesterday afternoon. As per the preliminary investigation, initially one of the boys had entered the frozen lake. When it cracked and he fell inside, two of his friends who were nearby went to help him. The first boy who fell in managed to come out with the help of other people, but the other two got drowned,” he said, adding that the tourist who escaped was given medical assistance at the Baisakhi Military Station in Tawang.
The Sela Lake is located at an altitude of over 13,000 feet above sea level and is among multiple high-altitude lakes frequented by tourists in Tawang. With the surfaces of these lakes freezing in the winter sub-zero minimum temperatures of the region, the district administration had issued advisories in December to tourists to not step on the frozen lakes.
“On December 17, the district administration had issued an elaborate advisory to not venture inside the frozen lakes because they are not yet strong enough to carry weight. In all such lakes in the district, we have put up signages where it is clearly written that no one should go in. We have also given briefings to stakeholders including tour operators and taxi drivers so that they can discourage them,” said the SP.
Sukrita Baruah is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, based in Guwahati. From this strategic hub, she provides comprehensive, ground-level coverage of India's North East, a region characterized by its complex ethnic diversity, geopolitical significance, and unique developmental challenges. Expertise and Experience Ethnic & Social Dynamics: Deep-dive coverage of regional conflicts (such as the crisis in Manipur) and peace-building efforts. Border & Geopolitics: Tracking developments along India’s international borders and their impact on local communities. Governance & Policy: Reporting on state elections, tribal council decisions, and the implementation of central schemes in the North East. Specialized Education Background: Prior to her current role, Sukrita was a dedicated Education Correspondent for The Indian Express in Delhi. This experience provided her with a sharp analytical lens for: Policy Analysis: Evaluating the National Education Policy (NEP) and university-level reforms. Student Affairs: Covering high-stakes stories regarding campus politics, national entrance exams, and the challenges within the primary and secondary education sectors. ... Read More
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