Two Kerala Tourists Drown in Arunachal's Frozen Sela Lake; One Body Found

A sightseeing trip turned tragic at Sela Lake in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district on Friday, when two tourists from Kerala drowned after slipping into the frozen lake.

One body has been recovered, while the search continues for the other victim. The deceased has been identified as 26-year-old B Prakash, while Madhav M (24) remains missing.

According to police, the victims were part of a seven-member tourist group from Kollam and Malappuram districts of Kerala. The group had travelled to Tawang after starting their journey from Guwahati, hiring a mini bus for the trip.

The incident occurred in the afternoon when the group stopped at Sela Lake for sightseeing. One tourist reportedly slipped into the frozen water. In an attempt to save him, two others entered the lake. While one person managed to come out safely, Prakash and Madhav were pulled under the icy surface.

Superintendent of Police D W Thongon said authorities were alerted around 3 pm, following which a joint rescue effort was launched involving the district police, Army, SSB and the State Disaster Response Force. Despite tough weather conditions and poor visibility, rescue teams managed to recover one body before nightfall.

However, the operation had to be suspended due to darkness and extreme cold. The search for the missing tourist will resume at 8 am on Saturday with additional support from security forces.

The recovered body has been kept at the Jang Community Health Centre, where a post-mortem examination will be conducted on Saturday.

Police said warning boards are already in place around Sela Lake and other tourist locations, advising visitors not to step onto frozen water bodies. The district administration had also issued a public advisory last month, cautioning tourists that ice-covered lakes are highly dangerous during winter.

Situated at an altitude of over 13,000 feet, Sela Lake remains one of Arunachal Pradesh’s most popular attractions, but officials continue to urge visitors to exercise extreme caution amid harsh winter conditions.

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