Arunachal: Two Kerala Tourists Drown in Sela Lake Tragedy
A seven-member tourist group from Kerala suffered heartbreak at Tawang's Sela Lake when two young men drowned trying to save a companion from the frozen waters, prompting urgent rescue efforts and safety advisories.
TAWANG- Two tourists from Kerala, identified as Dinu (26) and Mahadev (24), drowned in the icy waters of Sela Lake in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang district on Friday afternoon while heroically attempting to rescue a third member of their group who had slipped onto the frozen surface.
The tragedy unfolded around 2:30–3:00 p.m. near the popular high-altitude lake situated above 13,000 feet, when one tourist from the seven-member group—travelling from Guwahati to Tawang—ventured onto the ice and began drowning.
Dinu and Mahadev rushed into the freezing water to save their companion, but while the original victim managed to climb out safely, the two rescuers were swept under the fragile ice cover and did not resurface.
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Tawang Superintendent of Police DW Thongon confirmed that police received information around 3 p.m., immediately launching a challenging joint rescue operation involving district police, Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams despite poor visibility, extreme cold and diminishing light.
By evening, rescuers recovered Dinu’s body, which has been preserved at Jang Community Health Centre for post-mortem examination scheduled for Saturday morning. The search for Mahadev had to be suspended due to darkness and hazardous conditions but will resume at first light, with additional resources being mobilised.
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SP Thongon emphasised that Sela Lake’s ice, while visually appealing, remains unstable during winter and cannot reliably support human weight—a fact reiterated in district administration advisories issued since December.
Authorities have installed warning signboards at Sela Lake and other tourist spots explicitly cautioning visitors against walking on frozen water bodies, following multiple near-miss incidents in recent winters.
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The lake, sacred to local Buddhists and a major draw en route to Tawang Monastery, attracts thousands during peak season but turns treacherous as temperatures plummet below freezing from November through February.
Tawang Deputy Commissioner and local officials expressed condolences to the bereaved families and the surviving group members, who are receiving counselling and logistical support.
The incident has renewed calls for stricter enforcement of safety protocols, including guided access, real-time weather monitoring, and possibly restricting lake proximity during peak freeze periods to prevent similar tragedies at Arunachal’s fragile high-altitude attractions.
