Niwari (Madhya Pradesh): A young software engineer from Madhya Pradesh has been missing for 4 days after he fell into the Ganga River in Rishikesh from an under-construction bridge.
The youth has been identified as Hemant Soni, a software engineer from Prithvipur town in Niwari district, Madhya Pradesh.
On October 16, at around 9 pm, Heman along with 3 of his friends went to the Bajrang Setu bridge near Laxman Jhula, which was under-construction.
According to information, there were no security guards on the bridge, nor did anyone stop them.
While walking, Hemant received a call. They were at distance from him while he was talking and a short while later, they heard a sudden crash.
Family pleads aid from CM
Distressed from the incident, Hemant's uncle, Bharat Soni, released a video addressed to the Chief Minister Mohan Yada, saying, "Chief Minister, please help us! My nephew went to Rishikesh on the 16th of October. He fell into the Ganges River from the Bajrang Setu Bridge at night. It's been 4 days, but there's still no trace of him."
Bharat Soni added, "We want our nephew to return home safely. Whether the government uses helicopters or the NDRF to conduct a search, we just want him to be found. He is the only hope in our family. He went to Rishikesh with friends and a cousin."
Local police arrived about 20 minutes after the incident, but due to strong river currents and cold temperatures, a night-time search was not possible.
The State Disaster Response Force (SDERF) reached the site the next morning, but even then, divers could not enter the water safely due to dangerous conditions.
