CURATED BY – SUNIL YADAV | CITYCHIEFNEWS

Katni, The tragic incident of drowning of four girls in Narmada canal near Umariapan in Katni has shaken the entire area. Two girls have died in this incident, while one girl is safe and the search for the fourth girl is on. This accident happened when the four girls went to take bath in the canal. The deceased girls have been identified as Siddhi Patel, 12 years, class VIII and Anshika Patel, 14 years, class IX. The girl who has been rescued safely is named Annaya Patel, father Amit Patel, 12 years, while the deceased Siddhi's younger sister Manvi Patel, 8 years, is still missing. After this heart-wrenching incident, mourning has spread in the village. A wave of grief has spread in the entire area, and the administrative staff is continuously engaged in the search for the fourth girl.

Police said that four girls of Parswara village had gone to take bath in Narmada canal near Umariapan. Due to the deep water of the canal, all three girls started drowning in it. There was no one present nearby, due to which they could not be saved immediately. After some time, when the local people came to know about this incident, they informed the administration and the search for the girls was started. Local divers and police team engaged in rescue work recovered the bodies of Siddhi Patel and Anshika Patel, while one girl Annaya Patel, daughter of Amit Patel, 12 years old, was rescued safely but eight-year-old Manvi Patel is still missing. Divers and administrative officials are engaged in searching for her, but due to the strong flow of water, the search operation is facing difficulties. As soon as this news spread in the village, a wave of mourning ran everywhere. The family members are in a bad state due to crying. The death of Siddhi and Anshika has shocked the entire village. People from nearby villages have also gathered in large numbers to console the parents of the deceased girls. According to the family members, this was not the first time these girls had gone to bathe in the canal, but this time this accident happened. Local people say that the administration should have put up warning boards on the banks of this canal and should have made proper arrangements to prevent children from going into the canal. As soon as the information about this incident was received, Umariapan police station in-charge and Tehsildar reached the spot. Police and local administration immediately started the rescue operation with the help of divers. Within a few hours, the bodies of two girls were recovered, while one girl was rescued safely but the fourth girl is still missing. The administration has also included local divers and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team in the search operation. Due to the fast flow of water in the canal, the search operation is facing difficulties, but efforts are on.