3 dead, 2 missing after family members drown in Saryu River in Ayodhya, search operation underway

Lucknow: Three women lost their lives while two teenage girls remain missing after members of the same family drowned in the Saryu River while bathing in Ayodhya district on Tuesday afternoon.Rescue teams, assisted by divers and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), are continuing an intensive search operation for the missing girls.The incident occurred around 1 pm near Sanaha village under the Raunahi police station area. According to police, two women and four girls from the same family had gone to the riverbank, about three kilometres from the village, for an outing.Police said Sajrul Nisha (45), wife of Akram, entered the river to bathe but accidentally ventured into deep water and began drowning.To rescue her, her daughter Nazia (16), Mariam (18), Rashida (15) and another relative, Shaheen (35), who had come to the village to visit her maternal home, also entered the river.They too were caught in the deep waters and began drowning. One girl who had remained on the riverbank raised an alarm, prompting nearby villagers to rush to the spot and begin rescue efforts.After nearly one-and-a-half hours of rescue operations, villagers and emergency responders recovered Sajrul Nisha, Shaheen and Mariam from the river and rushed them to hospital, where doctors declared all three dead.

The search for the two missing girls, Nazia and Rashida, was continuing at the time of filing this report.Raunahi Station House Officer Ratna Sharma said police, local administration officials and rescue teams reached the scene immediately after receiving information about the incident.Divers and SDRF personnel are carrying out an extensive search of the river.Following the tragedy, the district administration appealed to the public to exercise extreme caution while bathing in rivers, ponds and other water bodies, particularly during the monsoon season when water levels and currents can rise unexpectedly.Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has taken cognisance of the incident and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.He directed officials to expedite the rescue operation with the assistance of the SDRF, ensure all possible support to the affected families, and provide the best possible medical treatment to any injured persons.The Chief Minister also prayed for the speedy recovery of those undergoing treatment.