A tragic drowning incident occurred on Friday afternoon in Bariyarpur village, located within the Chiluwatal police station limits in Gorakhpur district, Uttar Pradesh, India. Three friends, identified as Shubham Yadav (19), Ajay alias Banti (18), and Shiv Sahni (20), drowned in the River Rapti while bathing near an under-construction bridge at Bajarhan village. Four friends had gone to the riverbank for a swim, but they ventured into deeper waters, leading to the drowning. One of the friends managed to swim back and alerted nearby residents, prompting a swift response from rescue teams, including the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) and local police. Despite their efforts, the rescue operations were hampered by poor lighting conditions. Eyewitnesses reported that the group had been chatting on the riverbank before entering the water. The incident has caused panic among their companions and deep grief among their families, with many local residents gathering at the riverbank as rescue operations continued.