New Delhi, May 3 (IANS) A tragic incident unfolded at Shivrampur Ghat in Uttar Pradesh’s Ballia district on Sunday morning as six people, including four teenage girls, drowned in the Ganga River during a ritual ceremony.

According to officials, the victims had come to the ghat for a ritual. During bathing in the river, four of them reportedly began to drown. In an attempt to rescue them, two youths jumped into the water but were also swept away.

Police confirmed that two of the girls were rescued, while other bodies remain missing. Search operations are currently underway with the help of local fishermen, fire brigade teams, and divers.

Providing details, Deputy Superintendent of Police Muhammad Usman said: “At around 7.30 a.m., four people were bathing on the Shivrampur bank of Kotwali police station. One of them slipped, and three others came forward to save him. Four of them drowned. Four of them are being found with the help of local fishermen and fire brigades. Apart from this, the SDRF team is also coming from Gorakhpur. The situation is stable at the moment.”

The incident has triggered a large-scale rescue operation, with teams intensifying efforts to trace the missing individuals. Authorities said the SDRF team from Gorakhpur is also being deployed to assist in the search.

Taking cognisance of the incident, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath directed officials to reach the spot immediately and expedite relief and rescue work. He also instructed authorities to ensure that all possible measures are taken to locate the missing persons at the earliest.

According to local sources, the victims belonged to a family from Kalyanipur village under the Fefna police station area, who had gathered at the ghat for the ceremony.

The incident has cast a pall of gloom in the region, as anxious family members and locals continue to wait for updates while rescue teams work against time in the strong currents of the Ganga.

–IANS

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