Duo Died While Taking Photographs During Birthday Outing
Key Points:
- Ayush Kumar and uncle Prajeet Pandey drown at Bhatinda Falls
- Duo slipped while taking photographs, swept away in strong current
- Local divers recover both bodies after hours-long search
PUTKI (DHANBAD) – An uncle and his nephew drowned at Bhatinda Falls under the jurisdiction of Jogta police station after slipping into the water while taking photographs. The deceased were identified as Ayush Kumar, a resident of Shyam Bazar, and his uncle, Prajeet Pandey.
Ayush had gone to the waterfall along with his uncle and a group of friends to celebrate his birthday. The group first had breakfast at the site before Ayush and Pandey ventured further into the falls area.
The two apparently lost their footing while trying to click photographs and slipped into the fast-moving current. As each attempted to save the other, both were swept further downstream.
Their friends raised an alarm on seeing the pair struggling in the water and alerted nearby residents. Local divers from Bhatinda subsequently reached the spot and, after searching for several hours, retrieved both bodies from the water.
Police reached the scene following information about the incident and took custody of the bodies. The bodies have since been sent for post-mortem examination as part of the investigation.
Officials said the probe into the circumstances of the drowning was ongoing, and that further details would be shared only after the post-mortem report is received. Similar fatal drowning incidents have been reported in the past at water bodies and waterfalls across Jharkhand, including at falls near Dumka.
The falls are located within the broader industrial belt of Dhanbad district, an area that has also witnessed other fatal accidents in recent years, including a road mishap that claimed one life earlier this year.
