Five Missing in Brahmaputra River at Kharguli is Yet To Be Traced, Rescue Operations Continue

At least five people went missing after being swept away by the Brahmaputra while swimming at Bhakti Kutir in the Kharghuli area of Guwahati, officials said on Thursday.

According to the Assam State Disaster Management Authority (ASDMA), a group of nine individuals had entered the river on Wednesday evening.

Of them, three managed to make it back to the shore and were immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.

“Five others are still untraceable. Teams of the NDRF, SDRF, and local authorities are jointly carrying out an intensive search and rescue operation,” an ASDMA official said.

Rescue personnel have cordoned off the area to facilitate an uninterrupted operation. So far, no bodies have been recovered.

A senior official of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) said the Brahmaputra’s deceptive nature was complicating the effort.

“The surface appears calm, but there are strong undercurrents. It is unlikely the missing individuals are still near the incident site. Our teams are scanning downstream stretches as well,” the official said.

Authorities are continuing the search on a war footing, but officials warned that low visibility and strong currents may prolong the operation. Further updates are awaited.

Thursday morning, families of the missing individuals gathered at the site of the incident. Dense fog has hampered rescue operations. 

Out of nine people involved, four have been rescued by the Navariya team. The group had visited the Bhakti Kuti in Kharguli, and the accident occurred when they entered the river for prayers and rituals.

The following individuals remain missing: Abhijit (20) from Guwahati, Raunak Sadak (20) from Bongaigaon, Upesh Kumar (43) and Pratap (18) from Biswanath, and Sagar Gautam from Gurgam.

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