Two soldiers of the Indian Army’s 1 Para Special Forces went missing after an Army boat capsized in the Yamuna river near Hathnikund Barrage in Haryana’s Yamunanagar district during a night training exercise on Tuesday.
The incident took place when five soldiers were carrying out a training exercise on the river. According to the Army’s defence public relations officer, the boat developed a technical problem and was caught in strong currents as it moved towards the downstream side of the barrage.
Army personnel immediately tried to regain control of the boat and retrieve it. However, the boat became trapped in strong eddies near the sluice gates and eventually capsized. The powerful current swept the crew downstream.
Three soldiers managed to swim to safety, while two others were carried away by the strong water flow. Their whereabouts remained unknown as of Wednesday afternoon.
A large-scale, multi-agency search and rescue operation has been launched to locate the missing soldiers. Teams from the Indian Army, Indian Air Force, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) units from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, police and the civil administration are taking part in the operation.
The search has also been extended beyond the barrage area. Two helicopters are conducting aerial surveys of the Yamuna and the downstream canal network. Teams are searching along the Western Yamuna Canal towards Haryana and the Eastern Jamuna Canal towards Uttar Pradesh.
Authorities have also taken steps to reduce the flow of water to make the rescue operation easier. Following a request from the Army, the Haryana Irrigation and Water Resources Department reduced water discharge from the barrage as well as the Western Yamuna Canal.
Police officials said teams were working continuously to trace the missing personnel. Inspector Rohtash, SHO of Pratap Nagar police station, confirmed that the joint operation was underway.
The incident has prompted a coordinated effort involving several emergency and security agencies. Despite the difficult conditions and strong currents, rescue teams are continuing their search in the river, canals and surrounding areas.
Officials have not yet provided further details about the identities or condition of the two missing soldiers. The search operation is expected to continue until the personnel are traced.
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