Thiruvananthapuram: Two tourists from Kerala went to rescue their friend in Sela Lake in Arunachal Pradesh, one died and the other went missing on January 16. On Friday afternoon, Mahadev had gone on the frozen ice on the lake. However, the ice slide collapsed under his weight. He fell into the lake below. One of the two tourists who went to rescue him, Dinu (26), has died. Another tourist, Mahadev (24), is yet to be found. After this incident, the authorities have launched a large-scale rescue operation.
The seven-member team, which had come from Kerala, had come to Arunachal’s Tawang district via Guwahati on a trip. The tourist who first fell on the frozen lake managed to get out on his own. However, Dinu and Mahadev, who went to rescue him, are in danger. Soon after the incident, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SAB) and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) jointly launched a rescue operation.
Despite the harsh weather and rugged terrain, one body has been recovered. However, due to poor visibility and adverse conditions, the search for the missing tourist has been called off. The search will resume at 8 am today, Tawang Superintendent of Police (SP) D.W. Thungon said.
The body of the deceased has been kept at the Jang Community Health Centre. A post-mortem will be conducted on Saturday. The SP said clear signs have been put up around Sela Lake and other tourist spots, warning against walking on frozen lakes. The district administration had issued an advisory on December 17 to warn tourists. The advisory said that the ice layer may be unstable and cannot support human weight.
Sela Lake is located at an altitude of over 13,000 feet. It is a major tourist attraction in Tawang district. However, this incident is a testament to the dangers lurking behind this beauty. It is essential that tourists take such warnings seriously. Such tragedies can be avoided by following safety rules.