2 siblings on vacation drown in Saryu; aunt rescued

Lucknow: Two siblings drowned in the Saryu river while their teenage aunt was rescued by divers in Gorakhpur district on Sunday morning. The incident took place near a Hanuman temple in Gola area, where the children had gone to bathe. They had come to their grandmother’s home during school vacations.

The deceased were identified as Prince, 11, and Shivani, 13, residents of Usri village in Sikriganj. Their 16-year-old aunt was rescued and is undergoing treatment at a hospital. Doctors said her condition is stable.

Around 9am on Sunday, Prince and Shivani along with their aunt went to a Hanuman temple located outside the village. After offering prayers, the three went to the nearby Saryu river to take a bath.

Prince slipped into deeper waters while bathing. Seeing her brother struggling, Shivani rushed to save him but lost balance and was pulled into the strong current. Maya, too, jumped in to rescue the children but began drowning.

Their cries for help alerted locals. A local resident, Chandramal Yadav, jumped into the river and managed to pull Maya out. He dived back into the river again and brought out Prince. He was taken to a local health facility where doctors declared him dead.

Shivani’s body was fished out from the river after a two-hour search.