A search operation was launched in the Hooghly river at Nodakhali in South 24 Parganas after two young men were swept away while entering the water for tarpan on Mahalaya morning, according to a report by Sangbad Pratidin – Bengal. The missing men have been identified as Chayan Samanta and Saon Haldar, both believed to be between 18 and 22 years old.
The incident occurred at the river ghat in the Raipur Nityar Math area under Nodakhali police station. The two men had travelled from the Bibirhat area of Bishnupur with another friend to perform the ritual for their ancestors. They entered the river while the area was experiencing ebb tide, and were carried away by the current, the report said.
People present at the ghat and others who had entered the water attempted to reach the two men. However, they could not get close before the pair disappeared beneath the water. Police initially believed that the current had carried them farther from the ghat.
The incident took place as large numbers of people gathered at riverbanks and water bodies across West Bengal for Mahalaya rituals. Administrative authorities had arranged security measures and monitoring at the Nodakhali ghat, where a substantial crowd had assembled, according to the report.
After receiving information about the incident, police and personnel from the National Disaster Response Force reached the site. A boat-based search was started in the river, and divers were deployed to look for the missing men. The operation was continuing as the families were informed and reached the spot.
The report said the two men were believed not to know how to swim, although this remained an initial police assessment. Their families were reported to be in distress at the scene.
The incident places renewed attention on the practical challenges of managing public safety at river ghats during high-footfall religious occasions. Crowd control, monitoring of people entering the water and the response time of rescue teams become particularly important when river conditions change rapidly. In this case, the presence of ebb tide was identified as a key factor in the incident, while the search effort involved police, NDRF personnel, boats and divers.
No recovery of the two men had been reported in the supplied account. The search operation by police, NDRF teams and divers was the immediate next step at the Nodakhali river ghat.
