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Tribune News Service
Panchkula, September 20
Two sisters drowned in the Ghaggar in Panchkula this evening. The body of Simmy (7) was brought out by around 6 pm by her brother Sunny while an NDRF team fished out the body of the other victim, Neetu Kumari (16), around 10 pm.
Three women, Suman Devi, Ranjo and Kajal, along with five children -- Rahul (8), Kajal (10), Tulsi (15), Simmy and Neetu -- went to the Ghaggar shore in Sector 3 near the Shani temple for a religious ceremony around 5.30 pm. There was a death in the family a few days ago.
According to family members, the children were adamant on having a bath. They held each other’s hand and entered the river in a chain. “Neetu fell into a ditch in the river and all others fell on her,” said Sunny, brother of Neetu and Simmy, who managed to rescue Rahul, Kajal and Tulsi.
“I went home. My mother Suman Devi wasn’t there. So I started moving towards the river where I heard the cries,” said Sunny. He rushed towards the shore and jumped into the water.
“I first saved Kajal, then Rahul and after that Tulsi. However, my sisters Neetu and Simmy were missing,” he said.
By 6 pm, Sunny located Simmy’s body and she was brought out. By that time his brother Gaurav, who works as a helper in a shop at Mani Majra, also reached.
The police reached the spot by 7 pm and soon the help of the NDRF was sought.
“We reached the spot by 8 pm with a team of 20 men. We had two deep divers,” said Inspector Ravinder Kumar. The team had come from Chandimandir.
The NDRF used a motorboat too, but Neetu’s body was nowhere in sight. The team members walked into the Ghaggar in a chain for a distance to check if the body had moved further. Finally, the motorboat started taking rounds in the river at a place and the body was found.
Neetu was a student of Class IX at Government Girls Senior Secondary School, Sector 15, while Simmy was studying in Class I at Radha Madhav Mandir School in Sector 4, Panchkula.
The family hailed from Khagaria district in Bihar and was living on rent at Maheshpur village in Panchkula.
Ram Balak, father of the girls, was present at the spot but was speechless. He runs a cart. “Rahul, Kajal and Tulsi are fine now and have been sent home after preliminary treatment at the hospital,” said Gaurav Kumar.
Panchkula Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) Pankaj Setia, who was present at the spot, said compensation would be provided to the family of the victims as per the norms.
Similar incidents
July 2016: Two girls were swept away in the strong currents of the Ghaggar at Pinjore.
July 2013: A birthday party turned tragic as eight teenagers got swept away in the Ghaggar. Of the eight, two were rescued, while the remaining six died.
July 2015: Three IAF personnel, in their early 20s, drowned in the Ghaggar at Chamala village in Morni block.
August 2012: Four youths drowned at Tikkar Tal in Morni
June 2011: 23-year-old youth drowned at Tikkar Tal in Morni
March 2010: A resident of Nada village lost his life while swimming at Tikkar Tal in Morni
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