New Delhi/Noida: A tragic incident was reported on Sunday evening during idol immersion near a drain connecting to the Yamuna River between Mayur Vihar in Delhi and Sector-14A in Noida, where a 20-year-old youth drowned, triggering a large-scale rescue operation.
According to officials, the incident occurred around 7:00 pm near the DND Flyover, where four youths—identified as Deepak, Akash, Arvind and Vikas—entered the water to immerse an idol. While three of them managed to return safely, Vikas failed to come out and was reportedly swept away.
Friends and locals initially attempted to search for him, following which police and fire services were alerted. As the youth could not be traced, private divers were deployed, but without success.
Subsequently, NDRF and SDRF teams were pressed into action. A joint rescue operation involving Delhi Police, Noida Police, fire brigade, DDMA teams, NDRF and SDRF is currently underway, with divers and boats scanning the drain, which flows directly into the Yamuna River.
Amol Srivastava, DM, East District, Delhi, said the water current in the drain is strong, making the rescue operation challenging. Authorities confirmed that the missing youth, Vikas, is a resident of Harola, Noida, and had come with friends for the immersion.
Family members and locals at the site expressed anguish over what they described as delays in rescue response, while officials maintained that disaster-response protocols were activated as soon as information was received.
Search operations are continuing, and further details are awaited.
