In a major tragedy in Ayodhya, 15 members of four families from Agra were swept away by strong currents while taking a bath at Guptar Ghat of Saryu river on Friday.

While eight of them were rescued, three persons, including a girl child, swam across safely. However, five of the rescued people were pronounced dead after being taken to hospital.

The police and local divers were carrying out search and rescue operations to locate the other four missing members.

As per reports, 15 members of four families from Sikandra area of Agra reached Ram Nagari Ayodhya in the morning. After visiting some temples, they visited Guptar Ghat of river Saryu in the Cantonment area.

While roaming, all the people reached Jamthara Kachcha Ghat, about 200 metres away from Guptar Ghat and got down in the water to take a bath.

Suddenly four women started being swept away by the strong river current.

In order to save them, other members tried to get close to them and in the process they too were swept along by the water current. Somehow three persons, including six-year-old Dhairya, managed to swim back to the river bank.

Hearing their shrieks for help, boatmen, divers and devotees ran towards the ghat and some of them jumped into the water to rescue the drowning devotees. On being informed, a team of police and administration rushed there and started a rescue operation. The Army’s rescue team was also requisitioned to save the victims.

The divers rescued eight others from the river but five of them died before being hospitalised. Several divers under the supervision of Ayodhya district administration were engaged in search of the remaining four people till late Friday evening.