Bodies of 3 youths retrieved from Yamuna in Delhi

The bodies of three youths, who drowned in the Yamuna river in north Delhi's Burari, were retrieved on Friday morning, police said.

The three were part of a group of four people who had come from Loni in Uttar Pradesh to take a bath in the river at Sonia Pushta on Thursday, Deputy Commissioner of Police (north) Sagar Singh Kalsi said.

When they did not reach home in the evening, their families informed the police, he said.

The four youths were identified as Wasim (15), Kamal (17), Iliyas (20) and Sameer (17), the police said.

At the instance of one of their friends, a motorcycle and some clothes were found at the bank of the river. A search and rescue operation was launched and the bodies of Wasim, Kamal and Iliyas have been fished out of the river so far, Kalsi said.

The search for the fourth person is underway, he said.

A post-mortem examination of the recovered bodies is being conducted at the Sabzi Mandi mortuary, he added.

Inquiry revealed that the four youths accidentally drowned in the river. According to an eyewitness, Harish, the incident took place around 12.30 pm, the police said.

Statements of other eyewitnesses and family members of the deceased have been recorded and no foul play is suspected, they said.

Illiyas' uncle Mohammad Nasir said he learnt that his nephew and others drowned as the water level in the river increased when they were bathing in it.

Kamal's brother Sagar said he received information about the incident around 6.30 pm on Thursday.

''After reaching the spot, we found a scooter and some clothes lying there. Later, we informed the police,'' he said.