“Both of them washed away"
Two women from Mumbai slipped from a marble rock and fell into the Narmada river while taking a selfie at the tourist spot of Bhedaghat in Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur on January 7, 2022.
The police fished out the bodies of the women and handed them over to their families on January 8, 2022.
The women were identified as Mumbai resident Hansa Soni, aged 50, and her would-be daughter-in-law Riddhi Picchadia, aged 22.
Hansa Soni, her husband Arvind, son Raj and his fiancée Riddhi took a ropeway ride from Dhuandhar Falls on the Narmada river and went to Bhedaghat.
The women from Mumbai fell into the river and were swept away by the current before the bodies were found downriver.
According to reports, the incident happened so quickly that bystanders were unable to intervene and help the women.
City Superintendent of Police (CSP) Bargi area, Priyanka Shukla said:
“The Soni family, a resident of Mumbai, had come to visit Bhedaghat.
“They were staying in a nearby hotel. On Friday evening, they decided to visit the Bhedaghat.
“The woman, Hansa Soni and her to-be daughter-in-law Riddhi Picchadia were taking selfies while standing on a rock.
“Hansa Soni lost her control and fell into the Narmada river. Ridhi Picchadia jumped in to save her.
“Both of them washed away in the strong current.
“During a search with the help of local swimmers, the body of Hansa Soni was found late on Friday evening while the body of Riddhi was found on Saturday.”
The senior police officer added that the bodies have been handed over to the family after the post-mortem.
This is not the first time that such an incident has taken place at a popular tourist spot.
In 2017, a boy slipped into the river while taking a selfie at Bhedaghat and in a bid to save him, his sister jumped into the river and died.
The district administration put a warning board for prohibiting selfies at the spot and also appointed divers to save the lives of people.
In another instance, a woman died taking selfies when she was accidentally knocked into a river in Odisha in January 2021.
The woman, who was at the popular picnic spot with friends, fell into the rapids before being swept away by the current.
Mumbai police have since identified 15 places where taking selfies can be dangerous.
The places include major tourist attractions such as the Marine Drive promenade and Girgaum Chowpatty beach.
Loading ...