A tragic incident occurred in Tirap district, Arunachal Pradesh, where three students from a school in Deomali went missing while bathing in the Chatjo river last Saturday. The bodies of two students have been recovered, while the search for the third student continues. According to Deomali Assistant Commissioner Indira T Riba, the three students had gone to the river to take a bath around noon on Saturday.
The boys had been let out of their hostel earlier that day to get haircuts. Unfortunately, the river was in spate due to heavy monsoon rains in the region over the past week. Locals found the body of 12-year-old Paupwang Aana on the day of the incident, while a second body, identified as 13-year-old Ngowang Kakho, was recovered on Monday.
The search for the third student, 12-year-old Phosam Wangno, is ongoing. A massive multi-agency search and rescue operation is underway to trace the missing student. The rescue team comprises personnel from the State Disaster Response Force, the National Disaster Response Force, the Indian Reserve Battalion, the Assam Rifles, the police, and community volunteers.
They are combing the river’s downstream area in search of the missing student. The district administration has issued an advisory, urging residents, particularly youths, to stay away from water bodies due to an IMD weather alert in Tirap district. The search operation will continue on Tuesday, officials said.
On Sunday, a search and rescue operation was conducted by a team of the State Disaster Response Force, police, administration, and the general public, but it was hindered by strong currents.
