Guwahati: The body of eight-year-old Avinash Sarkar was recovered on Sunday morning from the Rajgarh area in Assam‘s capital city Guwahati. Avinash had been missing since Thursday after falling into an open stormwater drain.
The tragedy unfolded on Thursday evening in Jyotinagar when Avinash slipped from his father Hiralal Sarkar’s scooter and was swept away by floodwaters rushing into the drain. Despite a desperate search throughout the night, Avinash could not be located.
Determined to find his son, Hiralal remained at the scene, refusing to return home even for the sake of his younger child. The distraught father spent the night on a shop’s veranda, wading through slush and debris in his relentless search.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma visited the site on Saturday and urged Hiralal to return home for his own well-being and to care for his other son. However, Hiralal remained steadfast, insisting he wouldn’t leave until Avinash was found.
Police and SDRF team launched a search operation involving machinery and sniffer dogs, but their efforts culminated in the recovery of Avinash’s body on Sunday morning.
The body was sent to Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) for postmortem examination, where it was identified by Avinash’s heartbroken parents.
This incident highlights the dangers posed by open drains, especially during heavy rains.