Varanasi: Girl Student Drowns in Ganga While Taking Selfie, 2 Others Killed While Trying to Save Her

Varanasi: Three students from Patna drowned in the Ganga River in Varanasi at Samne Ghat, while taking selfies on. One student's body has been recovered, while the search for the other two continues. The incident occurred around 1:30 a.m. on Sunday at night.

Friends Group Came to Visit Varanasi, 3 Died in Ganga

According to local media reports, three students—Vaibhav Singh (21), Rishi Singh (21), and Sona Singh (19)—visited Varanasi with their friends.

They were reportedly taking selfies near a jetty when Sona fell into the river. In an attempt to rescue her, Vaibhav and Rishi jumped into the Ganga but were swept away by the strong currents. All three were from Patna, and two of them were scheduled to leave the same day for Jaipur.

One Dead Body Found, Search Operations are Underway

The local police, along with NDRF, arrived at the scene early Sunday morning to assist in the rescue operation. The search for Sona and Rishi has been challenging due to the fast-flowing water of the Ganga. The incident occurred at the Samne Ghat of Varanasi.

A local shopkeeper, Shani, told the media that “At around 1:30 a.m., a group of three male and three female students arrived at the ghats. A jetty is situated a short distance from the ghats. During their selfies, one of the female students fell into the river. Two male students jumped in to save her but were also lost in the current.”

Both Vaibhav and Rishi were scheduled to catch a train to Jaipur at 5 a.m. on Sunday. Vaibhav was a first-year LLB student at Vivekananda Global University in Jaipur, Rishi was a BA third-year student at MS College in Patna, and Sona was a physiotherapy student in Patna.

Father Expressed Grief Over Son's Death 

Vaibhav’s father, Satyaprakash Singh, expressed his grief, saying, “My only son has left this world. He had planned to go to Jaipur this morning, but this tragedy happened".

Sona had come to Varanasi to get information regarding admission in BHU and had planned to explore the city with her friends.

ACP Dhananjay Mishra launched the rescue operation. While Vaibhav’s body was recovered from the river, the search for Rishi and Sona continues with the help of the NDRF.

This year, 27 people have drowned in the Ganga in Varanasi. As of Sunday morning, the Ganga’s water level was recorded at 66.64 meters, below the warning level of 70.26 meters.