Army and disaster response teams continue the search operation in the Yamuna following the motorboat accident near Hathnikund Barrage.
Search for second missing soldier reaches Indri in Karnal as Army teams continue operations across Yamuna and Western Yamuna Canal
PEN OF DEMOCRACY NEWS DESK YAMUNANAGAR
The body of one of the two Army personnel who went missing in the Yamuna following a motorboat accident near Hathnikund Barrage on Tuesday was recovered from the river in Uttar Pradesh’s Saharanpur district late Wednesday night. The body was found near Bartha Korsi village, around 15 kilometres downstream from the barrage. The Army has not yet officially confirmed the identity of the deceased personnel.
The search operation for the second missing soldier has meanwhile been expanded to the Indri area of Karnal district, nearly 80 kilometres from Yamunanagar. Search teams are also carrying out operations in the Western Yamuna Canal in the area amid concerns that the strong water current may have carried the missing personnel downstream.
The incident occurred on Tuesday evening during a training exercise involving five personnel of the Van Para Special Forces. According to the information available, the personnel had been transported by a Chinook helicopter and lowered onto a motorboat positioned in the Yamuna as part of the exercise.
Soon after the personnel reached the boat, it reportedly failed to start and suddenly began sinking into the river. All five personnel entered the water wearing diving equipment and life jackets. Three of them managed to swim to safety, while two personnel, identified in the available information as Aryan Patil of Maharashtra and Ajay of Akhnoor in Jammu and Kashmir, went missing.
Following the accident, a large-scale search operation was launched jointly by the Army, local divers and the State Disaster Response Forces of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Helicopters were also deployed for aerial surveillance as rescue teams searched different stretches of the river and adjoining waterways.
The Army deployed around 10 teams to conduct searches across a 15-kilometre stretch. Teams worked through difficult water conditions and examined areas where the current could have carried the missing personnel. Local divers also joined the operation, while disaster response teams from both states supported the search efforts.
The strong flow of water has made the operation particularly challenging. Search teams have been examining not only the main river channel but also connected waterways and canals where a person could potentially have been carried by the current.
As the search progressed, authorities also took measures to temporarily reduce the flow of water in the Western Yamuna Canal. Water was stopped for approximately one hour to facilitate the search operation. Army personnel formed a human chain and conducted searches in the affected stretch in an effort to locate the missing personnel.
On Wednesday evening, two life jackets and a diving kit were recovered near Dadupur Head. However, the Army has not confirmed whether these items belonged to either of the two missing personnel. The recovery nonetheless provided investigators and search teams with additional material to examine as they continued operations.
Later, information received from the Irrigation Department led search teams towards Bartha Korsi village in Saharanpur district. A body was subsequently recovered from the Yamuna near the village. The location was around 15 kilometres from Hathnikund Barrage.
The Army has so far not officially confirmed the identity of the recovered body. Identification and other formal procedures are expected to be completed before an official confirmation is issued.
Meanwhile, the search for the second missing personnel continues. With the operation now extending into Karnal district, teams are focusing on the possibility that the strong current may have carried the soldier considerably downstream from the original accident site.
The extension of the search towards Indri demonstrates the challenges posed by the river’s flow and the distance over which a missing person can potentially be carried following an accident in fast-moving water. Search teams are examining both the Yamuna and the Western Yamuna Canal in the area.
The accident took place during an Army training exercise, and the circumstances surrounding the motorboat’s sudden failure and sinking are also being examined. The five personnel had reportedly reached the boat from a Chinook helicopter before the vessel developed the problem.
All personnel were equipped with diving kits and life jackets when they entered the water. Three personnel were able to reach safety, while the whereabouts of the other two remained unknown after the incident.
The coordinated rescue effort has involved multiple agencies from Haryana and Uttar Pradesh. Army teams have been conducting searches alongside local divers and SDRF personnel, while aerial surveillance has also been used to cover wider stretches of the river.
The search operation has required teams to work across different locations and waterways as authorities assess the possible movement of the missing personnel. The recovery of the body near Bartha Korsi has provided a significant development in the case, although official identification remains pending.
Authorities are continuing to examine information received from personnel on the ground, search teams and departments involved in managing the waterways. The Irrigation Department has also been providing information regarding water flow and locations that may need to be searched.
The temporary stoppage of water in the Western Yamuna Canal was among the measures taken to make the search more manageable. Army personnel subsequently conducted a coordinated search by forming a human chain, reflecting the extensive efforts being made to locate the missing soldier.
The recovery of life jackets and diving equipment near Dadupur Head also prompted further examination by the authorities. Since the Army has not established a connection between the recovered items and the missing personnel, officials are continuing to treat them as part of the search evidence without drawing any conclusion.
The search operation remains active in Karnal’s Indri area and other stretches considered relevant by the teams. The Army and supporting agencies are continuing their efforts to locate the second missing personnel.
The incident has involved a multi-agency response across two states, with the search moving progressively downstream from the original accident site. The recovery of one body in Saharanpur has now become a key development, while authorities await official identification.
For the families of the missing personnel, the search remains an anxious wait. Army and disaster response teams are continuing operations in difficult conditions, examining the river and canal system for any further leads.
Officials have not yet released a final account of the circumstances of the accident beyond the information available from the training exercise. The priority at present remains locating the second missing personnel and completing the necessary procedures concerning the body recovered from the Yamuna.
The search operation will continue across the identified stretches, with teams assessing the effect of water currents and examining areas where the missing personnel may have been carried. Further details are expected as the Army completes identification procedures and the search teams make additional progress.
