Kalyan: Search for toddler washed away in canal called off

Rescue teams on Thursday evening stopped the search operation of the toddler who fell into the stream near Patripul and was washed away in Ulhas creek. National Disaster Response Force personnel, Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Aadharwadi Fire Station personnel searched for the toddler from Adharwadi to Diva, Mumbra area from morning to 4:00 pm on Thursday. Rescue teams finally called off the search operation on Thursday evening as baby Rishika was nowhere to be found.

The state is expressing grief over this heart-wrenching incident. Everyone was praying for a discovery. Yogita Rumale, a resident of Hyderabad, had come to her parents in Bhiwandi for delivery. Since Rishika was born with an illness, she was treated at a hospital in Mumbai. She had to be taken to Mumbai after six months. Mother Yogita, her father Dnyaneshwar Pogul took Rishika to Mumbai on Wednesday despite the heavy rain. On the way back, train services were disrupted due to heavy rains. While returning from Ambernath local, the local train stranded near Patripul. There were no signs to go to the Kalyan railway station. Yogita, grandfather landed safely near Patripul. Like other passengers, they started walking towards Kalyan station through the railway line. The baby was close to the grandfather. While passing through a narrow place near Patripul with a side drain, grandfather's foot slipped and Rishika in his hand fell into the drain.

After the footage of the incident started circulating in the social media, the government agencies took information about the incident. Firefighters, National Disaster Response Force personnel searched for baby Rishika till eight o'clock on Wednesday night. The rescue office was facing obstacles due to heavy rains and flowing creeks. So the campaign was stopped at night.

Under the guidance of Tehsildar Jairaj Deshmukh, from 10:00 am on Thursday, disaster teams searched the bushes on both sides of the creek in Patripul, Mogagaon, Kopar, Diva, Mumbra areas and coastal areas till noon. As the baby was not found, they stopped the rescue operation. Under the guidance of Station Officer Hari Bhadange of Adharwadi fire brigade, the jawans searched for the baby from Durgadi, Adharwadi area to Saibaba temple.