Gwalior, June 14 (IANS) After a 17-hour rescue operation, the body of the second MBBS student who drowned in Gwalior’s Tigra Dam was recovered on Sunday.

In a tragic incident, two second-year MBBS students of Gajara Raja Medical College drowned in the deep waters of Tigra Dam on Saturday evening while on a picnic with friends.

The deceased were identified as Ayush Srivastava, a resident of Muzaffarpur in Bihar, and Gopal Agarwal, a resident of Bina in Madhya Pradesh’s Sagar district.

The incident occurred in the ‘Kachchi Paar’ area of the dam, a restricted zone located around three kilometres from the boat club, where public access is prohibited.

According to police, a group of eight medical students — four men and four women — had gone to the dam for a picnic. Ayush and Gopal ventured into the water, slipped on rocks and fell into a section estimated to be 40-50 feet deep.

Their companions, who were at the picnic spot above, became concerned when the duo did not return. During a search of the area, the students’ shoes and clothes were found neatly placed on the rocky bank, prompting them to alert the police.

Tigra police, led by CSP Krishnapal Singh and Station House Officer Shivram Singh Kanshana, immediately reached the spot.

Rescue teams comprising personnel of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local divers were deployed. The operation continued through the night with the help of boats and high-powered lights amid challenging conditions caused by the dam’s depth, mud and rocky terrain.

Gopal Agarwal’s body was recovered late on Saturday night.

The search for Ayush Srivastava continued for around 17 hours, and his body was finally recovered on Sunday afternoon.

Police officials confirmed that both students had entered the restricted ‘Kachchi Paar’ area.

The families of the deceased have been informed. The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, and further investigation is underway.

–IANS

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