Four Kanwariyas dead in three separate incidents across UP, Uttarakhand and Punjab

Four kanwariyas were killed over the course of August 8 and 9 across Uttarakhand and Punjab. In one reported instance from Budaun district of Uttar Pradesh, a 35-year-old kanwariya was killed and eight others, including seven children, sustained burn injuries.The victims came in contact with the electrically charged generator powering a DJ setup accompanying a group of kanwar yatris.

Superintendent of Police (City) Abhishek Singh said the incident occurred on Saturday evening in Garhi village under the Kadar Chowk police station area.

He said several kanwariyas, including children, were playing and dancing behind the DJ trolley when its generator became electrically charged, causing electric shock.

They were rushed to the hospital immediately with the assistance of the local police.

A 35-year-old man named Rohit, a resident of Budaun district, died, while eight people suffered burn injuries.

A video of the incident also surfaced online, showing children dancing behind the trolley when sparks suddenly fly, causing everyone to panic.

Police said that all the injured are undergoing medical treatment.

At Punjab's Faridkot district three kanwar yatris died after being run over by a car on Sunday, August 9. The group was returning to Kotkapura after carrying holy water from Gangotri in Uttarakhand when the accident occurred.

The injured were shifted to the civil hospital in Fatehgarh Sahib, where doctors declared three of them dead. The deceased were identified as Mahinder Pal alias Gagan, 43, Deepak Kumar, 42, and Jagdish Mittal alias Kalu, 40, all residents of Kotkapura.

Punjab Assembly Speaker Kultar Singh Sandhwan announced financial assistance of Rs 2 lakh each for the bereaved families and free medical treatment for the injured person.

"Losing three precious lives is extremely painful," Sandhwan said, praying for peace for the departed souls and strength for the bereaved families to bear the loss.

Assistant Sub-Inspector (ASI) Tilak Raj said a case has been registered at Sirhind police station and efforts are underway to trace the car driver, who fled the scene.

Separately, in Uttarakhand's Haridwar, two kanwariyas went missing after being swept away by the Ganga's strong current in two incidents over the past two days, police said Sunday, August 9, adding that search operations were underway to find them.

The first incident occurred near Dhanush Pul (bridge) at Har Ki Pauri, where a kanwariya taking a bath in the Ganga was swept away by strong currents and went missing within moments.

According to eyewitnesses, he was standing outside the safety railing and was pulled away by the current as soon as he entered the water. Police and rescue teams launched a search operation using boats after being alerted, but he could not be traced, police said.

The second incident took place late Saturday, August 8, evening at the Namami Gange Ghat, where three kanwariyas taking a bath were overpowered by strong currents. Police personnel manning the ghat rescued one of them, while two others went missing in deep water.

Police identified the missing kanwariyas as Pankaj Singh, 20, a resident of Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, and Anand Kashyap, 22, a resident of Bulandshahr.

The incidents come amid continuous appeals by the administration to kanwariyas and devotees not to bathe in areas with strong currents or in restricted places. City Circle Officer of Police Shishupal Singh Negi appealed to devotees to bathe only at safe ghats and refrain from entering restricted areas.

(Inputs from PTI)