12 dead by drowning in Narmada, Bhavnagar and Surat, search on for one still missing

According to police, the deceased have been identified as Nikul Bariya (21), Kajal Baria (21), Manguben Baria (45) and Dakshaben Shial (22), all residents of Sedarda village.

Police said that the tragedy occurred in the morning hours of Monday when the victims had gone to Rojka Dam to wash clothes.

“While the women were washing clothes, the male victim Nikul was swimming in the dam water, and he started drowning. Nikul’s mother Manguben and his cousins Dakshaben and Kajal also jumped in the water and all four drowned. We have retrieved the bodies of all four victims and an accidental death report has been filed in the matter,” said a police official at Khuntwada police station in Bhavnagar.

In the second incident, five persons belonging to one family drowned in the Karjan river in Mandan village of Narmada on Sunday evening. Their bodies were retrieved by the SDRF and local police by Monday afternoon.

According to officials at the SDM office at Rajpipla in Narmada, the deceased have been identified as Purvaraj Parmar (08), Khushiben Chauhan (24), Jignisha Parmar (32), Janaksinh Parmar (35) and Virpalsinh Chauhan (27), all residents of Bharuch.

According to officials, the deceased victims arrived at Mandan village, a popular tourist spot at the Karjan river banks on Saturday evening when the eight-year-old child had first drowned in the river after which the remaining family went after him to save him and also drowned.

In the third incident, the Bodies of two of the five youths who drowned while swimming at Hazira’s Suvali Beach in Surat were fished out by fire officials Monday afternoon.

With this, three youths have been declared dead and one remains missing while one youth was rescued in an unconscious state. Search operations are on for the fifth youth who is still missing.

Sources in the fire department said a few members from two groups went a kilometer away from Suvali beach, a comparatively secluded place to swim.

According to police, the youths were swept away in unexpected high tides. They shouted for help after which the remaining members intimated the police who were patrolling the beach. The police soon intimated the fire department officials.

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Meanwhile, local divers managed to rescue one of the youths, Vikash Salve (21), a resident of Bhatar in Surat. He was unconscious and was rushed to a private hospital for treatment where his condition, as of Monday, is learnt to be out of danger.

Later Sunday evening, the local divers fished out the dead body of Bhatar resident Sagar Salve (23). The dead bodies were handed over to the family members after post-mortem Monday.

“After learning about the incident, our police team reached the spot along with divers and intimated the fire department. Out of five who were missing yesterday, three dead bodies were recovered while one was fished out unconscious and his condition is reported to be out of danger. One more youth, Shyam Sanjay Sautkar (22), is still missing. Attempts are being made by the fire department with the local divers to locate him,” said Hazira police inspector J B Bubadia.