On Vijayadashami, a devotee who had come to immerse the idol of Goddess Durga drowned in the Sutlej River, while another was swept away by the strong currents. Fourteen hours later, no trace of the deceased remains. According to information received, it is a tradition among Indians that after the sacred Navratri festival of Goddess Durga, on Vijayadashami, a large number of NRIs gather to immerse the idol of Goddess Durga in flowing water.
The first incident occurred at 7 a.m. yesterday when a large number of devotees from Ludhiana were immersing the idol of Goddess Durga in the Sutlej River. Due to the strong current, a 24-year-old man was swept away by the strong current. Divers tried to rescue him, but he was unable to be found. There was widespread outcry during the incident. The search for him was suspended due to the darkness of the night.
The second incident occurred at 1 p.m. when a large number of devotees gathered to immerse the idol of Goddess Durga. One of them, a 34-35-year-old devotee, was swept away by the strong current of water and drowned. After considerable effort, divers were able to locate the deceased’s body, which they retrieved. Due to the flooding, the Sutlej River is flowing very fast, resulting in two incidents today.
