A day after four minor boys were suspected to have drowned in the Yamuna River near Hiranki village in outer Delhi’s Alipur area, search operations were still ongoing on Monday as their families waited for the bodies to be found.The incident occurred around 4:30pm on Sunday (HT)The incident occurred around 4:30pm on Sunday when the four boys, aged around 14-15,had gone to the river to swim. However, the current was too strong for them and they were swept away.One of their friends who had not entered the water and local fishermen, who heard their cries, attempted to rescue them at first. Failing to do so, they then called the police.“A rescue operation involving teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF), the boat club, and the Delhi Fire Services (DFS) began the same evening but was suspended at night due to poor visibility and difficult conditions. The search resumed on Monday morning, with NDRF personnel and the boat club continuing efforts to locate the missing teenagers,” said asenior police official, requesting anonymity.Locals told HT that the victims’ family members repeatedly returned to the riverside hoping to get news about their children.An NDRF official said “We started searching near the Hiranki village area on Sunday evening but the bodies had been swept away. On Monday, the search operation was initiated almost 10km away near Alipur. The bodies have still not been found. We are searching with boat club divers”The father of one of the teenagers told HT that he was losing confidence in the operation, claiming that officials at the site did not provide any clear updates on the progress of the search.The man, who works as a plumber, said his son had told him he was going to meet with his school friends and would return in 15 years. He received a call about the incident around 6pm.“The rescue team arrived around 9, but began the search operation around 10. For an hour, they were just planning how the operation would be carried out,” he said.“I went back to the site at 7 am, but there was nothing I could do except stare at the river. The police did not arrive until 12 pm,” he added. He lives in Nathu Pura in Burari, about 3km from the site of the incident.The father of another one of the children said he had told his boy never to go near the Yamuna. “Its the fault of the kids, I can’t blame anyone. But at least the authorities can help us with their bodies,” he added.When HT visited the spot on Monday afternoon, the clothes of the four teenagers were lying on the side of the river.The man who attempted to rescue the children identified himself as Chandra Shekhar. “Initially, we could hear them laughing and talking while swimming. But after a few minutes, everything went silent, followed by cries for help. One of the five friends, who had not entered the water, raised the alarm. By the time I came out of my hut, I saw a hand reaching out for help, but he too had drowned before I could reach him,” said the 26-year-old.