UP: Three people lost their lives in separate drowning incidents in Jhansi and Deoria districts, Uttar Pradesh, officials said on Thursday. The tragedies occurred as rivers in the region swelled due to continuous rainfall across the state.

On Wednesday evening, two people, including a teenager, drowned in the Patharai River in Todi-Fatehpur, Jhansi. According to Todi-Fatehpur Police SHO Atul Rajput, 45-year-old Ghasi Ram Pal was grazing cattle near the river with his nephews, Arjun (15) and Rahul (17).

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The incident occurred when one of their buffaloes wandered into deeper waters. As the three entered the river to retrieve it, they began to struggle against the strong current.

While locals managed to save Rahul, both Ghasi Ram and Arjun were swept away and drowned. Their bodies were later recovered and sent for post-mortem examination.

Police and local authorities at the site urged residents to stay away from swollen rivers and streams during the monsoon season to prevent such tragedies.

In a separate incident in Deoria, 20-year-old Abhay Yadav drowned while trying to save his friends during a visit to Sonbarsa village. Abhay had gone to bathe in the Gaura River with his companions when three of them began to drown.

In a heroic effort, he jumped in and managed to rescue all three. However, he was swept away by the strong current and has been missing since.

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According to Rudrapur Police Station in-charge Vinod Kumar Singh, search operations are ongoing with help from an NDRF team and local divers. The youth’s body has not yet been recovered, officials confirmed.

(With PTI Inputs)