Raipur: A 16-year-old boy from Raipur drowned in the Tandula canal at Selud village under Utai police station limits in Durg district on Saturday, while another youth accompanying him was rescued by alert locals.
The deceased, identified as Shivam Yadav, son of Devendra Yadav and a resident of Tilak Nagar in Gudhiyari, had travelled to Selud with his team members to participate in an open kabaddi competition.
The incident occurred around 10.30am when Shivam and another player walked nearly 1.5km from the village towards the canal bank to wash up after their matches. While standing near the edge, both slipped into the canal and were swept away by the strong current, Durg SSP Vijay Agrawal said.
Nearby residents immediately rushed to their aid and managed to pull one of the teenagers out of the water. Shivam, however, was swept away by the powerful current before he could be rescued.
After receiving information about the incident, police reached the spot and called in a State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) team to search for the missing teenager. SDRF divers, along with local administration officials, launched an extensive search along the canal stretch where Shivam was last seen.
Patan tehsildar also reached the spot to oversee the search and rescue operation. Officials said high water levels and the strong current in the Tandula canal were hampering the search, with teams scanning downstream stretches for the missing teenager.
Further details are awaited.
