On Sunday, the bodies of three students from the National Institute of Technology (NIT) Silchar, who went missing during an outing on Saturday, were recovered from a waterfall in Dima Hasao district, police said.
According to a report by the Hindustan Times, the police identified the students as Sarva Kritika (20), and Sauhard Rai (20) - both from Uttar Pradesh, and Radhika Kumari (19) from Bihar. They had gone to visit a waterfall near Harangajao village. The group reportedly slipped and fell into the water.
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Rescue teams launched massive search operation
As per the Hindustan Times report, the Dima Hasao additional superintendent of police (ASP), Farukh Ahmed, received information about the accident on Saturday afternoon. Following the alert, two teams of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) were sent to the site.
“After a thorough search, one body was recovered on Saturday evening, and today two more bodies were found under the water. All three have been sent to Haflong for post-mortem examination,” he said, adding that the bodies have been sent to Haflong for post-mortem examination, he added.
Students left campus without permission, says director
While confirming that all three were first-year students, the Director of NIT Silchar, Professor Dilip Kumar Baidya, said the students had gone out without following the institute’s protocol. “We have a rule that every student must inform the concerned authorities before going out. Unfortunately, some students violate this rule, and it happened in this case as well,” Professor Baidya said.
As per the reports, the director also said the administration had already informed the families of the incident and assured them of all possible assistance. The police said that the parents have two students have already reached the district.
Professor Baidya also said, “Since the incident occurred in Dima Hasao, the local police are handling the legal formalities. If the parents wish to collect the bodies directly from Haflong, they will be allowed to do so. If they want the bodies brought to the NIT campus, we will facilitate that as well.”
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As per the reports, Parents and students have demanded more safety and monitoring on campus since the tragedy; some wondered aloud whether closer supervision could have prevented it.
Professor Baidya said that the institute is now reviewing its existing safety guidelines, considering the incident. “We were already working on it, but after this unfortunate incident, we will introduce some additional rules to ensure better safety and accountability,” he remarked.
