Mumbai, January 17: A tragic accident at the high-altitude Sela Lake in Arunachal Pradesh has claimed the lives of two tourists from Kerala who drowned after the lake's frozen surface collapsed on Friday afternoon. The victims, identified as Dinu (26) and Mahadev (24), were part of a seven-member travel group that had arrived in the Tawang district via Guwahati. Authorities confirmed that the two men entered the icy waters in a heroic attempt to save a third member of their group who had slipped through the fragile ice.

A Rescue Effort in Icy Waters

The incident occurred around 2:30 PM on Friday, January 16, at an elevation of over 13,000 feet. According to local police reports, one member of the tourist group ventured onto the centre of the frozen lake when the ice layer suddenly cracked, plunging him into the freezing water. Arunachal Pradesh: 4 Tourists Fall in Frozen Sela Lake in Tawang District While Attempting To Walk on Icy Surface (Watch Video).

Rescue Attempt Turns Fatal at Sela Lake in Arunachal Pradesh

Witnessing the emergency, Dinu and Mahadev immediately rushed to assist their companion. While the third tourist, identified in some reports as Anandu (27), was successfully pulled to safety with the help of bystanders and nearby Indian Army personnel, the two rescuers were swept under the ice and failed to resurface.

Difficult Search and Recovery Operations

The Tawang district administration launched a joint search operation involving the local police, the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), and the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). Despite the extreme sub-zero temperatures and high-altitude terrain, rescue teams managed to recover Dinu’s body late Friday evening.

However, the search for Mahadev had to be suspended as night fell due to fading visibility and hazardous weather conditions. Operations resumed at 8:00 AM today, January 17, with additional support from Indian Army divers. Dinu's body has been shifted to the Jang Community Health Centre for a post-mortem examination.

Disregard for Safety Advisories

Superintendent of Police (SP) DW Thongon emphasised that the district administration had issued a clear tourist advisory on December 17, warning against the dangers of walking on frozen water bodies. High-altitude lakes like Sela often have uneven ice thickness that cannot reliably support human weight during the winter months.

"Warning signboards are clearly installed at Sela Lake and other tourist spots prohibiting visitors from venturing onto the ice," SP Thongon stated. He noted that despite regular police patrols and prohibitions, visitors occasionally bypass these safety measures for photographs and selfies. Arunachal Pradesh: Tawang Thrives As Fascinating Tourist Hub Despite India-China Border Dispute.

All About Sela Lake

Sela Lake is a premier tourist destination known for its scenic beauty, but it becomes a high-risk zone in winter. The fragile ice cover, combined with thin air and sub-zero temperatures, makes rescue operations exceptionally challenging. This tragedy follows several "near-miss" incidents reported in recent years, prompting officials to reiterate that safety guidelines must be strictly followed to prevent such loss of life in the sensitive border region.

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(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 17, 2026 11:39 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).