One man drowns, two washed away in Rishikesh

A man from Gujarat drowned while taking a bath in the Ganga and another two were swept away by the strong current when they tried to rescue him in Shivpuri here, police said on Saturday.

The deceased was identified as 22-year-old Fenil Thakkar while a search for his friends Kunal Kosadi (23) and Jenish Patel (24) is underway, they said.

The three had arrived here after their chardham yatra on Friday and went to take a bath in the river in the evening, in-charge, Muni ki Reti Police Station, R K Saklani said.

While taking a bath in the Ganga,Thakkar slipped and was washed away by the strong current. His two friends tried to save him but were also swept away, he said.

The body of Thakkar was recovered by divers of the State Disaster Response Force and the search for his two friends is on, Deputy Superintendent of Police Narendra Nagar Pramod Shah said.

Their families have been informed, the DSP said.