A large crowd gathered outside the hospital after the bodies were brought in. (Screengrab: Express)According to police, a group of 11 people from Jaipur had gone for the picnic. However, some of them slipped and fell into the river while bathing. Others in the group tried to rescue them, but many of them also ended up drowning, officers said.Tonk Superintendent of Police Vikas Sangwan said three people were rescued, while eight lost their lives.The group, aged between 25 to 30 years, reached Tonk at around noon from Hasanpura in Jaipur. SP Sangwan said, “The accident happened on Tuesday afternoon at Kachcha Bandh near Purana Banas Pulia of Sadar police station area. We have contacted the Jaipur police. All eight who died have been identified and their family members, relatives and friends have been informed. We will hand over the bodies after postmortem.”There are warning boards near the river, but people still go there, the SP said.The deceased were identified as Naushad (35), Qasim and Farhan (age not confirmed), residents of Hasanpura; Rizwan (26) and Ballu, residents of Ghatgate; Nawab Khan (28) and Sajid (20), residents of Panipech Kachhi Basti; and Naveed (30), resident of Ramganj Bazar.Those rescued have been identified as Shahrukh (30), Salman (26) and Sameer (32), all residents of Ghatgate.Naushad’s brother Dilshad told the media that Naushad has two children, a 14-year-old boy and a 12-year-old girl.Story continues below this adRajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma condoled the loss of lives and said rescue operations were initiated as soon as authorities received information.In a post on X, Sharma wrote, “The news of the deaths due to drowning in the Banas river located in Tonk district is extremely sad and painful. As soon as the information about the incident was received, the district administration officials were instructed to conduct rescue and relief operations immediately.”टोंक में बनास नदी में डूबने से 8 युवकों की मृत्यु होना अत्यंत ही दुखद एवं दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण है। मेरी गहरी संवेदनाएं शोकाकुल माता- पिता एवं परिजनों के साथ हैं।प्रशासन एवं सरकार यह सुनिश्चित करें कि भविष्य में ऐसी घटनाओं की पुनरावृत्ति न हो सके।ईश्वर से प्रार्थना है कि मृतकों की…— Ashok Gehlot (@ashokgehlot51) June 10, 2025“I pray to God to give peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense sorrow,” he added.Former chief minister Ashok Gehlot also expressed grief and urged the government to take preventive action to avoid such incidents in the future.“It is extremely sad and unfortunate that 8 persons died due to drowning in the Banas river in Tonk. My deepest condolences are with the bereaved parents and relatives. The administration and the government should ensure that such incidents do not recur in the future,” Gehlot wrote in a post on X. “I pray to God to give peace to the souls of the dead and give patience and strength to the family members in this difficult time,” he added.(With agency inputs)Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram© The Indian Express Pvt LtdTags:Rajasthan