Two Kerala Tourists Drown in Sela Lake

Superintendent of Police (SP) DW Thongon said, “The deceased has been identified as Dinu (26), while Mahadev (24) is still missing. They were part of a seven-member tourist group who came to Tawang via Guwahati.” he said.

“The incident took place in the afternoon when a member of the group fell into the frozen lake and started drowning. Dinu and Mahadev entered the lake to save him. While the third tourist managed to come out safely, both of them remained under the icy water.”

The SP said that the administration received information about the incident around 3 pm following which a joint rescue operation was launched with the participation of district police, central forces and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF).

“Despite the difficult weather and low visibility, the body of a tourist was found. The search for the missing person had to be stopped due to darkness and difficult conditions.” The operation will start again on Saturday morning, he said.

The recovered body was kept at Jang Community Health Center, where an autopsy will be performed on Saturday.

Thongon said warning signs have been posted at Sela Lake and other tourist spots clearly telling visitors not to walk on frozen lakes.

The regional government had issued an advisory in December, warning tourists that frozen bodies of water were unsafe as the ice could be unstable and unable to support human weight.

Located at an altitude of over 13,000 feet, Sela Lake is a popular tourist destination but poses significant risks during the winter months due to extreme cold and fragile ice cover.