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Journalism of Courage
Seven members of a picnic group from Surat, including six minors, were feared drowned in the Narmada river at Poicha in the Narmada district of Gujarat after being swept away by the river current on Tuesday.
The local divers rescued one of the eight who had stepped into the river for a swim and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) later joined the search operations at the request of the Narmada district police. The police said the victims were part of a 17-member group from Surat which had arrived at Poicha, on the border of Vadodara and Narmada districts.
Officials of the Rajpipla Town police and Narmada Superintendent of Police Prashant Sumbe rushed to the spot after the victims were swept away at around 11 am. A unit of the 6BN NDRF from Jarod in Vadodara district arrived in Poicha in the afternoon to begin the search operation for the seven people missing.
They have been identified as Bharat Badaliya, 45; Arnav Badaliya, Mitraksha Badaliya, 15; Vraj Badaliya, 11; Aryan Jinjala, 7; Bhargav Hadiya, 15; and Bhavesh Hadiya, 15. They resided at Krishna Park Society in Surat and hailed from Amreli.
Poicha is a popular summer picnic spot for swimming in the Narmada river. The Narmada district administration recently prohibited local boat operators from operating boats without a licence in the river. At the same time, boatmen continue to operate boats on the Vadodara district side of the river. According to police officials, boatmen from Chandod in the Vadodara district were the first respondents who saved the life of one.
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