Mourning in Malda after Class 10 student drowns while bathing in Ganga

A 15-year-old student died after drowning in the Ganga River at Sadullapur Ghat in Malda. The deceased was identified as Arup Das, a Class 10 student of Malda Town High School. The incident took place on Sunday afternoon when he had gone to bathe in the Bhagirathi River along with his friends.

According to local sources, Arup and several of his friends had travelled to the ghat on bicycles before entering the river for a bath. Soon after entering the water, Arup reportedly slipped into a deep section of the river and drowned. Hearing the cries of the other students, local residents rushed to the spot and began searching for him in the river.

After receiving information about the incident, police and civil defence personnel reached the area and launched a search operation with the help of a speedboat. The search continued until late Sunday evening but had to be suspended due to darkness and low visibility conditions in the river.

The operation resumed on Monday morning, and after several hours of searching, the body of the student was recovered from the river with assistance from local youths. The recovery of the body triggered grief among family members and residents of the locality. Arup’s death also cast a pall of mourning over his school and surrounding area.