The men had consumed alcohol and were in an inebriated state when they entered the river

Holi celebrations turned tragic for seven young men who went to the Yamuna for a dip on Monday. Five of them drowned in the waters at Burari in East Delhi. The remaining two survivors are being treated at a hospital.

The deceased have been identified as Dheeraj, Robin, Yogesh (all 23 years of age), Suresh (24) and Parveen (25). The injured has been identified as Mithun. Anees, who did not go inside the water, informed the police and the Delhi Fire Services about the accident.

“We got a call at 4-20 p.m. after which a rescue team reached the spot. The five men were rushed to GTB Hospital where they were declared dead,” said a fire official.

They were warned

Eyewitnesses told the police that Anees had warned his friends about the river’s depth, but they did not pay heed to his advice and went in. When one of them started drowning after reaching a deep point, his friends rushed to help him, but they also drowned in the process. None of them knew how to swim.

They were in an inebriated state

According to eyewitnesses, the men had consumed alcohol on the banks of the river and were in an inebriated state when they took the fatal plunge.

The police are investigating the case but have ruled out any foul play prima facie.

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