Two friends, including a techie from Ghaziabad, drowned in the Ganga Sunday morning while bathing at Dudhiya Band in the Haridwar city police station area. 

A pilgrimage trip to Haridwar turned tragic on Sunday morning when two friends from Ghaziabad drowned after being swept away by the currents of the Ganga. The victims, Brijesh Kumar Tripathi (42) and Sachin Tyagi (35), had travelled to Haridwar with their families. 

Add Asianet Newsable as a Preferred SourcegooglePreferred

According to SHO Kundan Singh Rana, “Tripathi slipped while bathing and was swept away by the strong current. Tyagi jumped into the river to save him, but also drowned.”

Emergency teams, including police divers and the SDRF, were rushed to the scene. After an intense search operation, both bodies were recovered within hours. Tyagi was a garment businessman.

Authorities once again flagged the dangers of bathing in the Ganga’s deeper stretches, particularly around the Saptrishi area, which has witnessed multiple such incidents. Despite prominent warning boards and repeated advisories, many pilgrims continue to underestimate the river’s strength.

SDRF teams retrieved two more bodies from the Chilla canal in Rishikesh on the same day. One of the deceased, Ayush (26) from Bihar, had reportedly drowned days earlier while attempting to take a selfie. The other victim was identified as local resident Anil Bahuguna, who had also drowned earlier.