Dhubri (Assam), 24 July (HS): A 17-year-old girl lost her life after drowning in the Gadadhar River near Mela Ghat in Assam's Dhubri town on Friday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Akshara Gowala, a first-year Higher Secondary student of Shishupathshala Higher Secondary School and daughter of local businessman Ramchandra Gowala.

According to family members, the incident occurred at around 10 a.m. when Akshara had gone to the bank of the Gadadhar River near her residence in Ward No. 1. She reportedly slipped while standing near the riverbank and was swept away by the strong current.

After receiving the information, workers employed by her father rushed to the spot and began searching for her. A team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) later joined the rescue operation with the assistance of local residents.

Following a search operation that lasted nearly one-and-a-half hours, the SDRF recovered Akshara's body from the river at around 11:20 a.m. Police subsequently took custody of the body and initiated the necessary legal formalities.------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash