3 persons drown Durga idol immersion in UP

Three persons drowned during immersion of Durga idols in Pilibhit and Lakhimpur Kheri districts of Uttar Pradesh, an official said today.
Hundreds of people had gathered at the Gauhania pond in Pilbhit for the immersion ritual yesterday, additional district magistrate (ADM) Brijkishore said.
"Three youngsters lost their balance in the melee and fell into the pond. While one person was rescued by his friends, the other two could not be saved," he said, adding that local fishermen pulled out the two bodies.
The deceased have been identified as Amit (25) and Najju Sharma (19), the ADM said.
In Lakhimpur, a teenage boy drowned in Ghaghra river during the immersion yesterday.

Pintu (15), along with some other villagers, slipped into the river during idol immersion, a district police official said.
"While others swam to safety, Pintu went missing. His body was fished out today morning," he said.
The body has been sent for post-mortem, he added.