One tourist was killed and another went missing after slipping into the frozen Sela Lake in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district on Friday, police officials said. The incident involved two tourists from Kerala who were part of a seven-member group visiting the high-altitude region during the winter season.

According to Superintendent of Police D W Thongon, the deceased was identified as Dinu (26), while Mahadev (24) remains untraced. The group had arrived in Tawang via Guwahati and was sightseeing near Sela Lake, a popular tourist destination located at an altitude of over 13,000 feet. The incident occurred in the afternoon when one member of the group accidentally slipped into the frozen lake.

Police said Dinu and Mahadev entered the icy water in an attempt to rescue the person who had slipped in. While the third tourist managed to come out safely, both Dinu and Mahadev were swept under the freezing water due to the fragile ice and extreme conditions. The administration received information about the incident around 3 pm, following which a joint rescue operation was launched.

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The rescue effort involved personnel from the district police, central forces, and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Despite difficult weather, low visibility, and harsh terrain, rescue teams managed to recover the body of one tourist. However, the search operation for the missing person had to be suspended after nightfall due to safety concerns and poor visibility. Officials said the search will resume on Saturday morning.

The recovered body has been kept at the Jang Community Health Centre, where a post-mortem examination is scheduled to be conducted. Authorities said warning signboards have been installed at Sela Lake and other tourist spots, advising visitors not to walk on frozen water bodies. The district administration had also issued an advisory in December, cautioning tourists that frozen lakes are unsafe during winter, as the ice may be unstable and unable to support human weight.

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