A fresh rescue operation was launched in Madhya Pradesh’s Rewa district on Wednesday to trace a 14-year-old boy and an 18-year-old youth who were swept away in separate river incidents on Nag Panchami. Both went missing after being caught in strong currents in the Bichhiya and Tamas rivers on Monday evening. SDRF teams searched for them through Tuesday but could not locate either of them. The operation was stopped after darkness and resumed the next morning.

The first incident took place near Itar in the Gudh police station area, where 14-year-old Shiva Rawat, son of Pradhan Rawat and a resident of Ganganiva in Deotalab, fell into the Bichhiya River. According to the information available, Shiva had reached the riverbank on Nag Panchami and was crossing a bridge when he reportedly lost his footing and fell into the swollen river. The current was strong, and he was swept away before anyone could reach him.

The second incident was reported from Chilla Ghat in the Teonthar area. Eighteen-year-old Sahil Ansari, son of Kamaluddin and a resident of Kharra Tola in Mauganj, was bathing in the Tamas River with a friend when he was caught in the current. His companion managed to get out of the water, but Sahil was swept away. Information about the incident was subsequently given to the authorities, following which a search operation was launched.

SDRF teams conducted searches at both locations throughout Tuesday. The swollen rivers and strong currents made the operation difficult, with rescuers having to search different stretches of the waterways. Despite several hours of effort, there was no confirmed trace of either Shiva or Sahil. The search was called off after darkness because continuing the operation in low visibility and strong currents could have created additional risks for the rescue teams.

The search resumed on Wednesday morning. SDRF personnel and divers were deployed at the two rivers, with teams checking possible locations where the victims could have been carried by the current. The search is also being extended downstream based on the direction of the water flow.

Family members of both missing persons have been waiting for updates from the rescue teams. The exact locations where the two may have been carried remain unclear, and officials are continuing the search based on the river conditions and available information. The situation was still developing when the operation resumed, with teams expected to continue searching the affected stretches of the Bichhiya and Tamas rivers.