Jamshedpur: In a heart-wrenching turn of events, the bodies of two children, who had gone missing near the Swarnarekha River, were retrieved after 24 hours, leaving their families in inconsolable grief. The tragic incident unfolded as both children, without their parents’ knowledge, ventured to the riverbank.
The victims were identified as Kunal Singh, a 17-year-old resident of Subhash Colony in Mango, and his friend Shivam Singh, a 15-year-old resident of Bara flat in Sidhgora, Jamshedpur.
The incident occurred on Wednesday at approximately 2:00 pm when Kunal, a student of KMPM School, had left his home to study. However, when he failed to return home by 1:00 pm, his anxious mother attempted to contact him through his mobile phone. To her dismay, the call was unanswered, and Kunal’s phone was later discovered near the Swarnarekha River.
Fearing the worst, the distressed family immediately reported the incident to the Kapali police station. Their worst fears were confirmed when they found Kunal’s clothes, mobile phone, and scooter near the riverbank in an area inaccessible to the public.
The family expressed profound shock and disbelief, unable to comprehend how the young boy had ended up in the river. BJP leader Vikas Singh, upon receiving information about the incident, arrived at the scene with his family members. They joined officers from the Kapali police station who were conducting an investigation.
Local residents revealed that on that fateful Wednesday afternoon, at around 2 o’clock, they had witnessed two children struggling in the river. However, the absence of adequate rescue equipment and the river’s significant depth, approximately 70 feet, prevented any immediate attempts at retrieval.
In a race against time to recover the bodies, Tata Steel divers were called upon for their expertise. With immense effort, they were able to retrieve the bodies of Kunal and Shivam from the river, finally providing closure to their anguished families.
This tragic incident serves as a somber reminder of the dangers associated with unsupervised excursions to water bodies and highlights the importance of vigilance and water safety awareness. The families, friends, and the community at large are left mourning the untimely loss of these young lives, their hearts heavy with sorrow.
Prior to this prominent BJP leader Vikas Singh, along with his family members, arrived at the scene, where officers from Kapali police station were conducting investigations. Singh expressed deep concern over the delayed response, pointing out that senior officials and district administration personnel were on-site during the incident. Despite this, almost 24 hours had elapsed, and the state government had yet to dispatch a rescue team to the area.
Singh emphasized the need for a more proactive approach by the Ministry of Disaster Management, which he deemed as currently inactive. The distraught family members of the missing students awaited any sign of progress with tears in their eyes, their anguish compounded by the inexplicable delay in rescue efforts.