A third-year student of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati lost her life after reportedly drowning in the Brahmaputra River near Lachit Ghat in Guwahati. The incident occurred on Saturday evening after the student and her friend allegedly slipped into the river while spending time near the riverside.
According to police sources, the two students had gone outside the IIT Guwahati campus to visit the riverside when they accidentally lost their footing and fell into the Brahmaputra.
The incident was immediately reported to the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), which launched a search and rescue operation by deploying divers to the site.
The student's friend was rescued within 10 minutes of the incident. However, the search operation for the missing student continued for nearly three hours before rescue teams recovered her body from the river.
In an official statement, IIT Guwahati confirmed that the deceased was a third-year BTech student from the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE).
"It is with profound grief and deep sorrow that IIT Guwahati informs of the untimely demise of a BTech third-year student of the Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering (ECE), who tragically lost her life in a drowning incident near Lachit Ghat yesterday evening," the institute said.
The institute described the incident as an irreparable loss to the campus community and extended its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and loved ones.
"This is an irreparable loss to the Institute community. IIT Guwahati extends its heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family and loved ones during this moment of immense sorrow and stands in solidarity with them, offering all possible support during this difficult time," the statement added.
The deceased student was identified as 20-year-old Sai Chetana, daughter of Jammalamadugu Tahsildar Sainath Reddy. On Monday, her mortal remains were brought to her native village of N. Kottapalle in Andhra Pradesh's Peddamudiam mandal, where family members, relatives and villagers gathered to pay their final respects. Her father, Sainath Reddy, was inconsolable during the last rites.
Police have initiated a formal investigation to ascertain the exact circumstances surrounding the incident.
