Mankachar (Assam), 17 September (HS): A 15-year-old Class VII student went missing after being swept away by strong currents while bathing in the Brahmaputra river at Char Daluwamari under Sukchar police station in Mankachar afternoon on Wednesday at around 3.30 pm.

According to reports today, three local girls had gone to the river to bathe. While they were in the water, all three reportedly struggled against the strong current. Hearing their cries for help, local residents rushed to the spot and managed to rescue two of the girls.

However, the third girl, identified as Sharmina Khatun, was swept away and remained untraced. She is the daughter of Sahidur Rahman of neighbouring Chhota Bajra village.

Soon after receiving information about the incident, Sukchar police and a team of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) reached the spot. SDRF divers and police personnel conducted an extensive search operation at different stretches of the Brahmaputra till night, but the operation had to be suspended due to darkness.

The search operation resumed on Thursday morning with SDRF personnel and local residents joining the efforts. However, Sharmina remained untraced till the filing of this report. Her family and local residents continued to wait anxiously along the riverbank for any information about her whereabouts.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Sriprakash