Thane, Jul 24 (PTI) A 16-year-old boy is feared drowned after being swept away by strong currents of the swollen Ulhas river in Thane district of Maharashtra on Friday morning, officials said.
The missing teenager has been identified as Yashwant Vaghe, a resident of a tribal hamlet in the Mohili-Balyani area of the district.
A Fire Brigade official said on receiving information about the missing boy, they immediately rushed to the spot and launched a search for him.
The Ulhas river has been overflowing due to continuous heavy rainfall over the past few days. Vaghe had gone for a walk along the riverbanks in the morning. While he was standing near the river, there was a sudden rise in the water level and he got swept away by strong currents, local
residents said.
When Vaghe went missing, family members and residents of the hamlet launched an extensive search along the riverbanks. After failing to trace him, they alerted the local municipal fire brigade and the disaster management department.
Emergency response teams rushed to the site at Mohili and launched a search and rescue operation using motorized boats. However, high water velocity and strong currents posed severe challenges to the rescue efforts, which continued throughout the day, said the officials. PTI COR RSY
