Two Minor Brothers From Virar Drown in Tansa River Near Ganeshpuri
Two minor brothers from Virar drowned in the Tansa River near the Akoli hot springs in the Ganeshpuri area near Bhiwandi on Sunday. The deceased have been identified as 13-year-old Arun Ram Bachchan Chauhan and his 10-year-old brother, Ayush Ram Bachchan Chauhan.
The tragedy took place during a family visit to the popular pilgrimage and tourist spot. According to preliminary information, their father, Ram Bachchan Chauhan, an autorickshaw driver residing in Virar, had travelled to Akoli with his wife, two sons, and a young daughter to visit the hot-water springs and take a holy bath.
After bathing in the hot-water kund, the family moved to the adjacent bank of the Tansa River. The two brothers entered the river and moved towards a deeper section of the water while bathing. Police and local sources reported that the river had a strong current and significant depth, causing the boys to lose their balance and get caught in the water.
At the time of the incident, the children's mother had stepped away to purchase food and other items, while their father was occupied with cleaning his autorickshaw nearby. Upon realising that both boys were missing from the riverbank, the parents raised an alarm.
Local youths quickly entered the river to initiate a search operation. Following nearly an hour of searching, both brothers were pulled out of the water from a spot located some distance downstream from where they had entered. However, both boys had inhaled a substantial amount of water and showed no signs of life upon being brought to the shore.
The Ganeshpuri Police were informed of the incident and arrived at the spot to take custody of the bodies. Police officials conducted a panchnama and initiated further legal procedures following the recovery.
The incident has prompted renewed safety concerns regarding visitors and children near riverbanks at local religious and tourist spots, where sudden depth changes and strong currents present severe hazards.
