Two tourists from Kerala drowned in Sela Lake in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district on January 16. The body of one of the victims has been recovered, while search operations are ongoing for the other, police said.
The deceased was identified as Dinu (26), while Mahadev (24) remains missing. Both were part of a seven-member tourist group that had reached Tawang via Guwahati, Superintendent of Police D W Thongon said.
According to the police, the incident occurred in the afternoon when one member of the group accidentally slipped into the frozen lake. Dinu and Mahadev entered the icy water in an attempt to rescue him. While the third tourist managed to come out safely, the two were swept under the frozen surface of the lake.
The district administration was alerted around 3 pm, following which a joint rescue operation was launched involving the district police, central forces, and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Despite challenging weather conditions and poor visibility, rescue teams recovered the body of one tourist. The search for the missing person was suspended due to darkness and harsh conditions and is scheduled to resume on Saturday morning.
The recovered body has been kept at the Jang Community Health Centre, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted on Saturday.
The SP said warning signboards have been installed at Sela Lake and other tourist spots, advising visitors not to walk on frozen water bodies. He added that an advisory was issued by the district administration in December, cautioning tourists that frozen lakes are unsafe as the ice may be unstable and unable to support human weight.
Situated at an altitude of over 13,000 feet, Sela Lake is a popular tourist destination but poses significant risks during winter due to extreme cold and fragile ice cover.
