SUBHASH MISHRA
Dhanbad, Nov 5: Six youths have reportedly gone missing while taking a holy bath in the Damodar River at Telmuchho Ghat under Mahuda police station, around 27 kilometres from the Dhanbad district headquarters.
One Body Recovered, Identification Underway
According to police officials, one body has been recovered from the river, though identification is still underway. The incident occurred on the occasion of Kartik Purnima, when thousands of devotees gathered at the ghat to take part in ritual bathing.
Two Youths from Bhimkanali Colony Still Missing
Five youths from Bhimkanali Colony under Baghmara police station reportedly entered the river for the holy bath between 1 pm and 1:30 pm. All of them began to drown during the bathing ritual.
Three were rescued by other devotees present at the ghat, while Sumit Ray (17) and Sunny Chouhan (21) remain missing.
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Divers from the Munidih area were pressed into service for the rescue operation and later recovered one unidentified body. However, family members of Sumit and Sunny were unable to confirm its identity.
Search Operation Halted Due to Darkness
Mahuda Police Station Officer-in-Charge Lalit Ranjan Bhagat stated that the search operation had to be suspended after dark due to safety concerns. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) team from Ranchi has been informed and will resume rescue efforts on Tuesday morning.
Four Youths from Bhuli Also Missing
In a separate but related incident, five youths from Bhuli area had also gone to the same ghat for a holy dip. One stayed on the riverbank while the remaining four entered the water and did not return. The fifth youth, who was watching their clothes, reportedly escaped from the spot.
Family members of the missing youths later reached Mahuda Police Station to help identify the body recovered earlier by local divers.
