Mayur Vihar: Search continues for man swept away during idol immersion in Yamuna Canal

new delhi: A multi-agency search operation entered its second day on Monday to locate a 20-year-old man who was swept away during an idol immersion in a canal feeding the Yamuna river in east Delhi’s Mayur Vihar, police said.

Vikas, a resident of Noida, was swept away by strong currents on Saturday evening. He was part of a group of eight to ten people who had reached the riverbank for the ritual.

According to the police, four members of the group entered the canal. While three managed to return to the bank safely, Vikas was unable to withstand the force of the water and was carried away.

The Delhi Police initiated action after receiving information from the Uttar Pradesh Police. Teams from the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi Fire Services (DFS), and local police launched a search and rescue operation. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) was also alerted to assist in the operation.

“Despite sustained efforts since Saturday evening, the body has not been recovered so far. Search operations are underway on a war footing with the help of multiple agencies,” a senior police officer said.

Officials involved in the rescue said the condition at the site are difficult. “The current is very strong at the point where the incident occurred. Water from the Kondli Canal merges there, which increases both the depth and the speed of the current,” they said.

Harish, the in-charge of the Boat Club, said boats and professional divers remained deployed through the night, though operations had to be briefly suspended due to poor visibility.

Rescue teams are systematically scanning downstream stretches using boats and underwater search methods. “We are covering downstream areas, considering the current’s speed,” an official said. The victim’s family has been informed, and efforts to recover the body continue.