12 feared drowned in Agra during idol immersion; CM Yogi Adityanath expresses grief

The tragedy unfolded around 1 pm, when a group of village residents entered the river for the immersion of the goddess’s idol. They formed a human chain, holding hands as they stepped into what seemed to be waist-deep water. Within minutes, they slipped into a pit that officials said was at least 20-25 feet deep, and could have possibly been carved out due to illegal sand mining.

Among those identified missing and dead are at least five minors.

Among those who entered the river were Vishnu (20), Ompal (25), Gagan (24), Haresh (20), Abhishek (17), Bhagwati (22), Sachin (26), Sachin son of Una (17), Gajendra (17) and Deepak (15).

Vishnu was the only one to survive as he was immediately pulled out by villagers. He is currently admitted at a hospital for recovery and his condition is reported to be stable.

The incident comes just days after the Yamuna crossed the danger mark amid heavy rain during the monsoon, leaving several colonies in Agra waterlogged. Authorities said the elevated water level, combined with the sudden drop in depth caused by mining pits, made the spot particularly hazardous.

Agra Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, who inspected the site along with District Magistrate Bhanu Chandra Goswami, said: “The river looked shallow, but there are dangerously deep pits in some stretches. Our rescue teams believe the bodies are stuck there. We are using every possible resource to recover them.”

Large-scale rescue operations have been launched, with teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), PAC Flood Company, local divers, and eventually the Army’s 50 Para Brigade and 411 Para Field Company have been deployed.

Speaking to The Indian Express, Agra DIG Ram Badan Singh said an artificial pond had been prepared by the administration for the Visarjan, but villagers insisted on entering the river. “They went too far inside and ended up in the deep pit. It was an extremely unfortunate decision,” he said.