[Bengia Ajum]
TAWANG, 16 Jan: In a tragic accident, two persons drowned on Friday afternoon in Sela Lake in Tawang district.
The body of one of the deceased, identified as 26-year-old B Prakash, has been retrieved, while the body of the other drowned person, identified as 24-year-old Madhav M, could not be recovered due to darkness. Both victims were from Kerala.
The incident occurred when a group of tourists was walking on the frozen Sela Lake. Suddenly, the ice broke, and two of them drowned.
Speaking to this daily, Tawang SP DW Thongon informed that efforts to retrieve the body of the other drowned tourist will resume on Saturday morning. “Today, the rescue operation had to be called off due to darkness. However, tomorrow we will resume the operation to retrieve the other body at 8 am with the help of the Army, SSB, and SDRF,” said the SP.
The duo was part of a seven-member tourist group from Kerala who were on their way to Tawang on vacation. “They had booked a mini bus and were travelling together. They had started their journey from Guwahati. At Sela, they stopped for sightseeing, during which the tragic incident took place,” added SP Thongon.
Meanwhile, the SP urged visiting tourists to follow the advisory issued by the district administration while visiting Tawang at this time of the year. “Signboards have been installed at Sela and Shungatser, clearly warning tourists not to enter the frozen lake. Tourists should strictly follow all advisories for their own safety,” the SP said.
