Second Kerala Tourist's Body Recovered From Sela Lake After Tragic Fall
Body of second missing Kerala tourist recovered from frozen Sela Lake in Arunachal Pradesh.
The body of 24-year-old Mahadev M, a tourist from Kerala, was recovered on Saturday from the frozen Sela Lake in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district, following an intensive search operation. The discovery comes a day after another tourist from the same group lost his life in the incident.
Mahadev was part of a seven-member Kerala group that had traveled to Tawang via Guwahati. The tragedy occurred on Friday when some members of the group fell through the ice while walking on the frozen lake. One tourist was rescued alive, while 26-year-old Dinu’s body was recovered shortly afterward.
The recovery operation was a coordinated effort involving the Indian Army, Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Lt. Colonel Mahendra Rawat, Defence spokesperson, confirmed that the Army worked alongside local police and civil authorities to navigate the treacherous high-altitude terrain, as the lake sits over 13,000 feet above sea level.
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A post-mortem examination is underway, and Mahadev’s body will be handed over to his family once formalities are completed. Authorities have emphasized the dangers of frozen lakes, highlighting that ice layers at high altitudes are often unstable and cannot bear human weight safely.
Following the tragedy, warning signs have been installed at Sela Lake and nearby landmarks, and the district administration has reiterated its December advisory cautioning tourists against walking on frozen water bodies during winter. The incident has sparked renewed calls for stricter safety measures for high-altitude tourism in Arunachal Pradesh.
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