Picnic Ends in Horror: Eight Men Drown in Rajasthan’s Banas River

A picnic turned tragic in Rajasthan’s Tonk district on Tuesday when eight men drowned in the Banas river, police said. The victims had traveled from Jaipur for a leisure outing.

According to Tonk Superintendent of Police Vikas Sangwan, a group of 11 men, aged between 25 and 35, had entered the river to bathe when some slipped into deeper waters and began to drown. Others who attempted to save them also got caught in the current.

Three men were rescued and are currently in stable condition.

The deceased have been identified as Naushad (35), Kasim (26), Rizwan (26), Nawab Khan (28), Sajid (20), Nakku (30), Ballu, and Farhan — all residents of Jaipur’s Hasanpura, Ghat Gate, Panipech, and Ramganj areas. The victims were pulled from the water and rushed to the hospital, where doctors declared them dead.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, calling the news “extremely sad and painful.” In a statement posted on X, he said, “As soon as the information was received, district officials were directed to initiate rescue and relief operations without delay.”

Condolences also poured in from Governor Haribhau Bagade, former CM Ashok Gehlot, Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully, and other political leaders.

Initial investigations suggest the men underestimated the river’s depth, leading to the fatal mishap.