Four boys drown in Sharda river in UP's Sitapur, two bodies recovered

Lakhimpur Kheri (UP), Jun 13 (PTI) Four boys from Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur Kheri district drowned in the Sharda river on Friday while bathing near the under-construction Debar Ghat bridge in the neighbouring Sitapur district, officials said.

The boys have been identified as Avinash (17), Utkarsh (16), Devansh (16) and Rahul (13), all residents of Hasanpur Katauli village under Isanagar police station limits, they said.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Dhaurahra, Rajesh Kumar, who along with local police officials reached the spot to oversee the rescue operation, informed reporters that the bodies of Avinash and Utkarsh have been recovered.

Efforts are underway to locate the remaining two boys, Rahul and Devansh, he said.

Personnel from the Provincial Armed Constabulary (PAC) flood unit have been deployed for the search operation, he added.

According to officials, the boys had initially gone to see the under-construction bridge and later decided to bathe in the river, which led to the tragic incident. PTI COR KIS KSS KSS