Arunachal Pradesh: Two Kerala Tourists Drown in Sela Lake
Situated at an altitude of over 13,000 feet, Sela Lake is a popular tourist destination but poses significant risks during winter due to extreme cold and fragile ice cover.
Guwahati: In a tragic incident two tourists from Kerala were drowned after slipping into the frozen Sela lake situated at an altitude of nearly 13700 feet in Tawang district of Arunachal Pradesh.
Informing that incident took place on Friday, Superintendent of Police (SP) DW Thongon said that body of one of them was recovered, while a search was underway to trace the other.
Pointing out that the deceased was identified as Dinu (26), while Mahadev (24) is still missing, he said that they were part of a seven-member tourist group that had arrived in Tawang.
Police said that a member of the group ventured towards the centre of the frozen lake to position his camera when the ice gave way, and he plunged into the lake water. After the incident his three friends went to rescue him but they also got submerged.
A specialised rescue team from the Army's Gajraj Corps was rushed to the site following an alert. Braving sub-zero temperatures and harsh high-altitude conditions, Army divers — assisted by police and the local civil administration — managed to pull out two of the three persons.
One was successfully revived with immediate medical aid, while the other was declared dead, defence PRO Lt Col M Rawat said.
The deceased was identified as Dinu, 26, while Mahadev, 24, is still missing. Search operations are continuing for the missing tourist.
The remaining members of the group have been safely sheltered at nearby Army camps and are receiving necessary care, said the defence spokesperson.
