Agartala, June 1: In a tragic incident amid relentless monsoon rains, an unidentified body was found floating in a waterlogged street in the Jackson Gate area of Agartala late Saturday evening, raising fresh concerns over urban flooding and emergency response in Tripura.
Local residents first spotted the body and quickly alerted the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS). A team from ERSS, accompanied by personnel from the Tripura State Rifles (TSR), responded to the call.
“We were in the Pratapgarh area when we received an urgent wireless message from the 112 ERSS control room. Due to the poor weather conditions, mobile networks were down, so we had to rely on wireless communication,” said Kamraj Sarkar, a TSR trooper who responded to the incident.
By the time the team reached Jackson Gate, two youths—including one identified as Suresh Deb from Town Pratapgarh—were already attempting to recover the body with the help of another individual.
“The person was found in this condition. We can’t confirm if he’s dead. Emergency fire services have been called to transport him to the hospital for confirmation and identification,” Sarkar added.
Another TSR official stated that their team arrived 35 to 40 minutes before the media, highlighting the challenges posed by submerged streets and communication breakdowns during the rescue effort.
Locals involved in the recovery claimed the person showed signs of life when found. They believe the victim might have survived had emergency services reached the spot on time.
This marks the second suspected drowning in Tripura within 24 hours. A separate drowning death was reported two days ago in the Jirania subdivision of West Tripura district.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for Unakoti and North Tripura districts and an orange alert for the remaining six districts, warning of continued heavy to very heavy rainfall across the state.
Authorities have advised residents to stay indoors during intense rainfall and avoid flooded areas, as Tripura continues to battle the impact of severe monsoon conditions.
