A social media video making attempt turned tragic in Uttar Pradesh’s Siddharthnagar when five children climbed a 60-foot water tank, leading to a deadly accident and a risky overnight rescue.
The incident happened on Saturday afternoon as the children went up the water tank to shoot a reel, not realising the consequences of it.
While coming down, the ladder could not handle their weight and broke, causing three of them to fall from a height of around 50 feet.
UP Water Tank Reel Tragedy: Teen Dies After Falling From 50-Foot Water Tank
Thirteen-year-old Siddharth died at the spot, while two other children were badly injured and taken to the hospital for treatment.
Two children were left stranded on top of the water tank, causing panic among local residents and officials.
Rescue Operation Hit By Rain And Mud Before Indian Air Force Joins Mission
Rescue attempts faced many problems. A crane could not reach the area because the ground was muddy, and rain made it difficult to create a proper path.
As the situation became more serious, the state government asked for help from the Indian Air Force on the instructions of Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath.
IAF Rescue in #UttarPradesh Dramatic rescue! Indian Air Force helicopters safely airlifted two children stranded atop a hundreds-of-feet-high water tank in Siddharthnagar, Uttar Pradesh. The staircase collapsed on Saturday while several children were on the tank.
1/2 pic.twitter.com/N3dgewqzBX— Siraj Noorani (@sirajnoorani) May 3, 2026
IAF’s ‘Mil Mi-17 V5’, Airlifts Two Children After 16-Hour Overnight Rescue Operation
An Mil Mi-17 V5 helicopter was used for the rescue, making it a difficult night-time operation, finally after nearly 16 hours of excess effort, the two children were safely airlifted at around 5:20 am.
‘The children were stranded in the night as the ladder of the water tank was damaged. The rescue mission, yet again, displays the IAF’s professionalism and commitment to save lives with a swift response in times of need,’ said the Indian Air Force in a social media post.
Officials, including District Magistrate Shivsharanappa GN and SSP Abhishek Mahajan, stayed at the spot all night as rescue teams worked in tough conditions, joined by teams from the NDRF, the electricity department, and local city and district offices.
The incident has raised concerns about unsafe structures and the rising trend of dangerous stunts for social media.
