A search operation was underway in the Hooghly river at Nodakhali in South 24 Parganas after two young men were swept away while entering the water for a tarpan ritual on the morning of Mahalaya, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin. Police, National Disaster Response Force personnel and divers were deployed after the incident.
The two men, identified as Chayan Samanta and Saon Haldar, had reportedly travelled from the Bibirhat area of Bishnupur with another friend to perform the ritual at the riverbank. They entered the water at the Hooghly river ghat in the Raipur Nityar Math area under Nodakhali police station.
The report said the river was experiencing an ebb tide when the incident occurred. The two men were pulled away by the current and disappeared within moments. People present at the ghat and others who had entered the water attempted to reach them, but could not get close enough to rescue them.
The missing men are believed to be between 18 and 22 years old. Police initially suspected that neither of them knew how to swim. The report said the force of the current may have carried them some distance from the ghat, complicating the search.
Police and NDRF personnel reached the location after receiving information about the incident. A boat was used to search the river, while divers were sent into the water to look for the two men. The operation was continuing when the report was published.
The incident took place as large numbers of people gathered along rivers and other water bodies across West Bengal for Mahalaya rituals. Tarpan, a ritual honouring ancestors, is traditionally performed at riverbanks and attracts crowds to ghats. The report said that security arrangements and close monitoring had been put in place by the administration at the Nodakhali ghat, where many members of the public had gathered.
News of the incident was conveyed to the families of Chayan and Saon. Relatives reached the site and were reported to be distressed as the search continued. No confirmation of the two men’s recovery was provided in the supplied report.
The immediate next step remains the river search by police, NDRF teams and divers. Authorities had not announced the outcome of the operation at the time of publication.
