Three drowning incidents in Rewa, Jabalpur and Gwalior claimed six lives over the weekend, including two MBBS students who drowned at Tighra Dam.

Madhya Pradesh witnessed a tragic weekend as six young men lost their lives in three separate drowning incidents reported from Rewa, Jabalpur and Gwalior. The accidents, which occurred between Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon, involved groups of friends who had gone to rivers and a dam for recreation and bathing.

The most recent incident was reported from Rewa district, where two youths from neighbouring Uttar Pradesh drowned in the Tamas River near the Madhya Pradesh-Uttar Pradesh border on Sunday. According to local authorities, six members of a family from Bharat Nagar in Shankargarh area had reached the river for bathing when one of the youths drifted into deep water.

As panic spread, another youth jumped in to rescue him. However, both were unable to return to safety and disappeared beneath the water. Villagers who rushed to the spot managed to rescue one person, but 19-year-old Kunal Mishra and 18-year-old Vishesh Mishra could not be saved.

A rescue operation was launched and both bodies were later recovered from the river. Residents of the area said deep pits inside the riverbed, believed to have formed due to earlier stone extraction and blasting activity, may have contributed to the accident. Police teams from both Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh reached the spot as the incident occurred near the interstate boundary.

Rescue Along Border

Officials said legal formalities were being carried out after determining jurisdiction. Family members and local residents gathered in large numbers at the riverbank during the recovery operation.

Narmada Tragedy

In another incident, two teenagers drowned in the Narmada River at Silua Ghat in Jabalpur's Gaur Chowki area on Sunday afternoon.

Dhruv Patel, 19, and Sagar Patel, 17, both residents of Choukhda village, had visited the ghat with three friends. According to preliminary information, Dhruv entered a deeper section of the river and began struggling in the water. Sagar attempted to rescue him but was also pulled into a deeper current.

Boatmen present near the ghat reportedly rushed to help after hearing cries for assistance, while police were alerted. By the time rescuers reached the location, both youths had gone missing.

SDRF Operation

Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local police carried out a search operation for nearly three hours. The bodies were eventually found trapped near rocks around 50 metres from the spot where they had disappeared.

Police said post-mortem examinations were conducted and further investigation into the incident is underway.

MBBS Students Die

A day earlier, two second-year MBBS students of Gajra Raja Medical College in Gwalior drowned at Tighra Dam during an outing with friends.

The victims were identified as Gopal Agrawal, a resident of Bina in Sagar district, and Ayush Srivastava, who hailed from Muzaffarpur in Bihar. Both were part of a group of eight students who had visited the dam on Saturday evening.

According to information gathered by authorities, the students had moved to a restricted stretch near the reservoir, away from the main boating area. Around 7 pm, the two students entered the water. Witnesses indicated that they may have slipped on the rocky edge and lost balance before being swept into deeper water.

Overnight Search Effort

When the pair did not return, their friends began searching and later found their clothes and footwear neatly placed along the shore. Police, SDRF personnel and local divers launched a search operation that continued through the night.

Gopal's body was recovered late on Saturday, while Ayush's body was located on Sunday afternoon at a depth of nearly 50 feet among rocks and vegetation.

College Mourns Loss

The deaths have cast a shadow over the medical college community. College authorities described the students as bright and promising. Dean Dr RKS Dhakad termed the incident a major loss for the institution and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.

The three incidents have once again highlighted concerns over safety at rivers, reservoirs and other water bodies, particularly during the monsoon season when water levels and underwater conditions can change rapidly. Authorities have urged visitors to avoid venturing into deep or restricted areas and to follow local safety advisories.