Two Kerala tourists drown after slipping into frozen Sela Lake in Arunachal Pradesh

Itanagar, Jan 16 (PTI) Two tourists from Kerala drowned in the Sela Lake in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district on Friday, police said.

The body of one of them was recovered, while a search was underway to trace the other, they said.

"The deceased was identified as Dinu (26), while Mahadev (24) is still missing. They were part of a seven-member tourist group that had arrived in Tawang via Guwahati," Superintendent of Police (SP) DW Thongon said.

"The incident happened in the afternoon when one member of the group slipped into the frozen lake and began to drown. Dinu and Mahadev entered the lake in an attempt to rescue him. While the third tourist managed to come out safely, the two were swept under the icy water," he added.

The SP said the administration received information about the incident around 3 pm, following which a joint rescue operation was launched involving the district police, central forces and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

"Despite difficult weather and low visibility, the body of one tourist was recovered. The search for the missing person had to be halted due to darkness and harsh conditions," he said, adding that the operation will resume on Saturday morning.

The recovered body has been kept at Jang Community Health Centre, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted on Saturday.

Thongon said warning signboards have been put up at Sela Lake and other tourist spots, clearly advising visitors not to walk on frozen lakes.

The district administration had issued an advisory in December, cautioning tourists that frozen water bodies are unsafe as the ice may be unstable and unable to support human weight, he said.

Situated at an altitude of over 13,000 feet, Sela Lake is a popular tourist destination but poses significant risks during winter due to extreme cold and fragile ice cover. PTI UPL UPL SOM