A weekend outing turned into a heartbreaking tragedy for the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Silchar, after three first-year B.Tech students drowned at the remote Boulsol (Hmunthajao) Waterfall near Harangajao in Assam’s Dima Hasao district on Saturday.
As of Sunday morning, the body of one student has been recovered, while the search for the remaining two continues amidst difficult conditions.
👥 Victims Identified and Incident Details
The deceased and missing students, all pursuing first-year B.Tech courses, have been identified as:
Sarbakritika Singh (20), from Uttar Pradesh (Body Recovered on Saturday evening)
Sauhard Rai (20), from Uttar Pradesh (Missing)
Radhika (19), from Bihar (Missing)
According to police, a group of seven students had travelled from Silchar for a day trip to the scenic, but challenging, waterfall area. The incident occurred when three of the students reportedly slipped and were swept away by the strong currents into a deep section of the waterfall.
🔍 Search Operation Underway
The incident, which occurred around 2 PM on Saturday, immediately prompted a massive search and rescue operation:
Rescue Teams: Personnel from the local police, State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) rushed to the remote site.
Challenges: The operation was severely hampered by the rough terrain, poor road connectivity, and the complexity of the waterfall’s deep plunge pool.
Status: The body of Sarbakritika Singh was successfully retrieved late on Saturday evening. The search was suspended after dark and has resumed this Sunday morning (November 9) for the missing students, Sauhard Rai and Radhika.
🏛️ NIT Silchar and Official Response
The news has sent shockwaves through the NIT Silchar campus, which is mourning the loss of its young students.
Director’s Statement: Prof. Dilip Kumar Baidya, Director of NIT Silchar, told media outlets, “We are in constant touch with the rescue teams and the families. This is an extremely distressing moment for all of us.” He confirmed that all three victims were first-year students.
Coordination: A team of faculty and administrative staff from NIT Silchar has rushed to the Harangajao area to coordinate with local authorities and assist in the search efforts.
Formalities: The Harangajao Police Station has been formally informed of the matter, and all protocols for post-mortem and transporting the bodies will be followed after the full recovery is completed.
🛣️ Transportation of Bodies
Since only one body was recovered late on Saturday and the search for the other two is ongoing, the process of transporting the bodies back to Silchar or their hometowns has not yet begun.
Authorities are waiting for the successful retrieval of all three students. Once recovered, the bodies will undergo a post-mortem examination, and arrangements will be made for transportation back to the families in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar in coordination with the institute.
