17-year-old swept away in canal near Piran Kaliyar shrine in Uttarakhand

ROORKEE: A 17-year-old boy from Amroha was swept away in the strong currents of the Gangnahar canal near the Piran Kaliyar shrine on Friday, triggering a massive search operation by rescue teams.

Bilal Ahmed had come to the shrine with his grandfather and others from Naipura village to offer prayers. Around noon, with the sun blazing overhead, Bilal's 70-year-old grandfather Akbar Ali began to feel dizzy while they walked around the shrine. Bilal asked him to sit in the shade and went to the canal to fetch some water.

Witnesses said Bilal lost his balance and fell into the water while trying to fill his bottle. The current was swift, and though bystanders tried to save him, he was quickly swept away.

"We immediately launched a search operation with divers, but we haven't found him yet," said Ravindra Kumar, incharge of the Piran Kaliyar police station. "The team is monitoring the area closely."