8-year-old boy’s body found after 3-day search in Guwahati storm drain

The three-day search for an eight-year-old boy, who had been swept away by raging waters after falling into a storm water drain in Assam’s Guwahati, ended on Sunday (July 7) with his body being found more than 4 km downstream.

Abinash’s parents, Hiralal and his wife, who had been camping at the search spot, clinging on to a faint ray of hope of finding him alive, identified his body at Guwahati Medical College.

How accident happened

The boy was going home riding pillion on his father’s scooter amid heavy rain on Thursday (July 4) evening when he slipped and fell into the storm water drain in Jyotinagar. Hiralal tried to grab hold of him but the current was too strong for him.

Over the next three days, a massive search operation, involving the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), and other agencies, was launched to find the boy. They used sniffer dogs, excavators, and other equipment to scour the storm water drain.

They had mentioned the possibility of the boy being swept away downstream and had removed concrete slabs in downstream areas to look for him. Finally, they located the body in Rajgarh area, more than 4 km downstream of Jyotinagar.

Sarma visits spot

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on Saturday visited Jyotinagar and met Hiralal and his wife. He had urged them to return home and offered them support. Sarma had told the media that the parents should be prepared “to face the harsh truth”.

“We must all ensure that they return home and prepare them to face the harsh truth. If something were to happen to the parents now, we would not be able to forgive ourselves,” Sarma said on Saturday night.

Condolences from CM

On Sunday, Sarma offered condolences to the parents and thanked the rescuers. “Deeply pained! With a heavy heart, we have learnt that the child’s body has been found. My deepest condolences go out to his parents and family during this unimaginable time. I also extend my heartfelt gratitude to the dedicated personnel of the NDRF, SDRF, Police, and District Administration for their tireless efforts in the search and rescue operations,” he posted on X.

“While nothing can bring back the boy, we will try to ensure the younger son of the couple is well taken care of,” he added. Sarma may visit the boy’s family on Monday.

Sarma rubbished allegations of government negligence being responsible for the boy’s death. He asserted that a big city like Guwahati is bound to have some problems and the administration is ready to put them right if pointed out.