The recovery operation for the 12 people who drowned in the Utangan river near Khairagarh, Agra, during Dussehra idol immersion on October 2 was completed on Tuesday, bringing a close to the nearly 124-hour search.

Thirteen people were swept away during the incident, but one youth, Vishnu, was immediately rescued.

Agra Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar confirmed that all 12 missing bodies have been recovered.

The operation involved teams from the NDRF, SDRF, Army, PAC flood company, local divers, and police, who worked relentlessly to locate the victims. Officials noted the recovery was particularly challenging because the bodies were trapped in deep pits—some as deep as 25 feet—in the river, cavities caused by illegal sand mining at the site. The water flow had to be temporarily diverted to assist the diving teams.

The deceased were identified as Sachin (14), Karan (21), Bhagwati (23), Oke (19), Gajendra (20), Ompal (35), Gagan (25), Deepak (15), Abhishek (16), Vinesh (19), Manoj (15), and Haresh (22). Police Commissioner Kumar thanked the various teams and local villagers for their sustained effort in bringing closure to the bereaved families.

He confirmed that eight of the deceased have been cremated, with the remaining bodies undergoing post-mortem examination.