Two drown during idol immersion in Agra; CM expresses grief

Agra (UP), Oct 3 (PTI) Two persons drowned and six others went missing during an idol immersion in the Utangan river in Agra district, officials said on Friday.

The incident occurred in Khairagarh area on Thursday when nine people slipped into deep water during the immersion. While locals managed to rescue one person, the bodies of Gagan (26) and Ompal (32) were later recovered, they said.

District Magistrate Arvind Mallappa Bangari said six others are still missing and teams of local divers, police personnel and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) have been pressed into service.

He added that the administration had designated a specific site for the immersion, but the group chose another spot in the river.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath expressed grief over the loss of lives.

He conveyed condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for strength to bear the loss, according to an official statement issued in Lucknow. PTI COR KIS DV DV