Missing Malayali student's body found in Chhattisgarh; Friend escapes miraculously

RAIPUR: The body of a Malayali youth, who went missing after being swept away in a flood while riding his bike through a culvert above a river in Chhattisgarh, was recovered on Sunday. The body of Yadu (23), a native of Mavelikkara, was recovered during a search operation conducted this morning. A woman who was pillion riding on the bike made a miraculous escape.

The accident took place on Saturday evening. While crossing the Gughanta culvert in Mainpat on a rented bike with his female friend, the bike suddenly skidded, and both of them fell into the river. The girl managed to escape by grabbing a rope thrown by locals who saw the accident, but Yadu was swept away. The locals tried again to rescue Yadu, but the attempts were unsuccessful.

The police and the State Disaster Response Team, along with the locals, conducted an extensive search but could not find Yadu. The body was found around 10:30 this morning. The body was found one kilometre away from the culvert. Yadu’s relatives headed to Chhattisgarh after knowing about the incident. They are expected to reach the location by Sunday evening.

Yadu was a final-year nursing student in Bengaluru. He reached Ambikapur in Surguja district on Friday to meet a friend studying in an institution in Raipur. He had rented a bike from the capital city. Chhattisgarh police said that the woman who escaped death is also a Malayali.