Six youths drown in separate incidents:Rewa, Jabalpur and Gwalior incidents leave grieving families across MP, UP Bihar

Six men lost their lives in three separate drowning incidents across Madhya Pradesh over the weekend. Two friends each drowned while bathing in the Tamas River in Rewa and the Narmada River in Jabalpur, while two MBBS students died after slipping into deep water at Tigra Dam in Gwalior. The victims included two residents of Uttar Pradesh, one resident of Bihar, and three from Madhya Pradesh. Authorities have recovered all six bodies. Two youths from Uttar Pradesh drown in Rewa’s Tamas river The first incident occurred on Sunday at the Gaura stretch of the Tamas River in Rewa district, near the Madhya Pradesh–Uttar Pradesh border. Around six members of a family from Bharat Nagar in Shankargarh, Uttar Pradesh, had gone to the river for a bath. During the outing, Kunal Mishra (19) accidentally entered deep water and began drowning. Vishesh Mishra (18) jumped in to rescue him, but both were pulled under by the depth of the river. Villagers rushed to help after hearing cries for assistance and managed to rescue one individual safely. However, Kunal and Vishesh could not be saved. Their bodies were later recovered during a rescue operation. Locals said the accident site contains deep pits created by earlier stone-blasting activity, making the water deceptively dangerous. MP and UP police respond Police teams from Madhya Pradesh’s Chakghat station and Uttar Pradesh reached the scene, as the incident occurred near the inter-state boundary. Jurisdictional procedures are being followed for further legal action. Rescue attempt ends in double tragedy in Jabalpur In the second incident, Dhruv Patel (19) and Sagar Patel (17) drowned while bathing in the Narmada River at Silua Ghat in Jabalpur’s Gaur police outpost area. The two friends had visited the river with three others on Sunday morning. Dhruv reportedly drifted into deep water, prompting Sagar to enter the river in an attempt to rescue him. Both became trapped in a strong current and disappeared beneath the surface. Boatmen at the ghat and emergency responders launched rescue efforts after being alerted by their companions. Bodies recovered after three-hour search Police and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) personnel conducted a search operation lasting nearly three hours before recovering both bodies approximately 50 metres from the site, lodged near rocks in the river. The bodies were sent for post-mortem examination, and an investigation is underway. Two MBBS students die at Gwalior’s Tigra dam The third incident involved Gopal Agrawal from Bina in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district and Ayush Srivastava from Muzaffarpur, Bihar, both second-year MBBS students at Gajra Raja Medical College in Gwalior. The pair had visited Tigra Dam on Saturday evening as part of a group of eight students. According to eyewitnesses, they entered the water near a restricted rocky area around 7 p.m. and reportedly slipped, losing their balance before being swept into deep water. Overnight rescue operation When the students failed to return, their friends searched the area and found their shoes and clothes neatly placed on the shore before informing the police. Rescue teams comprising police personnel, SDRF members, and local divers recovered Gopal’s body late Saturday night. Ayush’s body was found the following afternoon, trapped among rocks and bushes nearly 50 feet below the water’s surface. Promising medical student had cleared NEET on first attempt Family members said Gopal Agrawal was the youngest among five siblings and had successfully cleared the NEET examination on his first attempt in 2024 to pursue his dream of becoming a doctor. His education was reportedly supported by his elder brother, and he often expressed his desire to become a doctor and support his family in return. His untimely death has left the family devastated. Ayush Srivastava’s family was informed immediately after the incident and travelled from Bihar to Gwalior. Medical college dean calls incident an irreparable loss Dr. R.K.S. Dhakad, Dean of Gajra Raja Medical College, described the tragedy as deeply painful, stating that the institution had lost two bright and promising students. He said the incident had caused immense grief to both the college community and the families of the deceased, calling it a loss that could not be compensated.