Three youths who went for a picnic on the Bihar-Jharkhand border on Saturday were swept away by the strong currents of the Batane River. The incident occurred near Belghati Bridge, close to Dema village, under Hariharganj police station in Palamu district, Jharkhand. Following the accident, chaos erupted at the scene. With the help of local residents, one youth, 40-year-old Rajendra Sao, son of late Ramnaresh Sao from Mini Bigha village under Tikari police station in Aurangabad district, was pulled out of the river. He was found unconscious and immediately taken to Hariharganj Community Health Center. Due to his critical condition, doctors referred him for better treatment after primary care.

Eyewitnesses and companions of the youths stated that three of them had entered the river to make videos. The spot where they went had deep water and strong currents. Local residents had warned them against entering the deep water, but the youths reportedly ignored the warnings. It is also suggested that the youths might have been under the influence of alcohol, though police have not officially confirmed this.

Upon seeing the three drowning, people nearby raised an alarm and attempted a rescue. While Rajendra Sao was saved, there was no trace of the other two youths, identified as Ritik and Tenny. Hariharganj police promptly arrived at the scene and, with the help of locals, initiated a search operation for the missing youths. However, the strong currents and depth of the Batane River made the search difficult. As darkness fell, rescue efforts became even more challenging. As of the time of reporting, the two missing youths could not be located. Police are gathering information at the scene and are engaged in further action to find them.