NARSINGHPUR: What began as a carefree afternoon turned into a devastating night for three families in Madhya Pradesh's Narsinghpur district, as a tragic drowning incident claimed the lives of three Class 12 students.
Tanmay Sharma, Akshat Soni, and Ashwin Jat, the three friends, reportedly left for a picnic to the Hathinala-Bildha waterfall, a scenic but perilous monsoon destination located about 40 kilometres from the district headquarters.
The trio left on a motorcycle at 3 p.m. on Friday.
When they failed to return home by evening, their families grew increasingly concerned and initiated a search.
Upon reaching the waterfall, they discovered the boys' bike and clothes lying near the water's edge - an ominous sign that soon confirmed their worst fears.
"Their bodies have been recovered after a six-hour rescue operation involving villagers, local police, and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). The rescue operation continued till 11 p.m. Their bodies have been sent for post-mortem and later will be handed over to the family members. A MERG report has been filed, and further investigation is going on, " police officials said.
Tanmay Sharma, son of Tarun Sharma, was a resident of Sanskar City; Ashwin Jat, son of Bhagwat Jat from Dhuvghat; and Akshat Soni, son of Akhilesh Soni from Gokul Nagar.
Two of the students, Ashwin and Akshat, studied at Utkrisht Vidyalaya (school of excellence).