Kolkata, March 4 Three people drowned and one went missing after being swept away by the Hooghly River while they were bathing after celebrating Holi in North 24 Parganas district of West Bengal, police said on Wednesday.
The incident occurred on Tuesday afternoon at Balaram Sarkar Ghat in Ward 33 of the Bhatpara Municipality, they said.
Three bodies were recovered, and the search for the fourth person was continuing, they added.
The deceased were identified as Saikat Nandi (32), Sourav Nandi (27), and Balaram Sarkar, all residents of Madrul Government Colony in Bhatpara.
Three men reportedly went for a swim in the river when they lost their balance and were swept away by the strong current. A fourth person jumped into the river in an attempt to rescue them, but he was also carried away, police said.
A search and rescue operation was immediately launched with the help of divers. The bodies of the three victims, who were members of the same family, were recovered, they said.
Efforts are underway to locate the fourth missing person, they said.
The incident cast a somber mood over the area.
