A young man from Assam drowned while swimming with his friends in the Umtrew River on Sunday evening in Ri-Bhoi.
The incident occurred between 5 and 6 pm when a group of youths from Assam visited the river. The deceased was identified as Ranjit Das from Japorigog, Guwahati, who was swept away by the river, whose water level was higher than normal.
Efforts by his friends to rescue him were in vain. Upon learning of the drowning, police and rescue teams from Ri-Bhoi rushed to the scene but were unable to locate the body that evening due to darkness.
The search resumed today, led by the Byrnihat police outpost and rescue teams. The body was eventually retrieved from the river at around 11 am.
Following a preliminary investigation, the deceased’s body was taken to Nongpoh Civil Hospital for an autopsy examination. The police are continuing to investigate the incident.