Rescue operations dominate the Delhi-Noida border as NDRF spearheads efforts to locate Vikas, swept away in the Yamuna during a Saraswati idol procession the evening after Basant Panchami. The Saturday mishap has mobilized a formidable alliance of emergency responders.
Vikas, part of a walking immersion group arriving at 7 PM, met disaster on the slick riverbank near Delhi Boat Club. He fell around 8 PM, alerting bystanders who swiftly contacted UP Police.
Multi-force deployment followed: NDRF arrived by 8:30 PM alongside police, firefighters, and UP SDRF. Nightfall paused searches at midnight, resuming at 6:30 AM with intensified diving and boating.
Club chief Harish Kumar reported no sightings despite continuous probes. DM Amol Srivastava outlined the rapid escalation from initial call to full-scale operation, praising inter-state synergy.
Family anguish poured out as Vikas’s brother narrated: ‘Annual tradition turned nightmare when he slipped mid-immersion.’ Witnesses feared the current’s power, known for its peril.
Highlighting systemic vulnerabilities, authorities broadcast safety mandates – supervised events, barriers, flotation devices – to avert repeats. With every hour critical, the quest persists, embodying communal resolve against nature’s fury in ritual settings.