A tourist from Kerala drowned, and another is missing at a high-altitude lake in Arunachal Pradesh's Tawang district. The incident happened on Friday afternoon at Sela Lake, located 13,700 feet above sea level. The two men, 26-year-old Dinu and 24-year-old Mahadev, were part of a seven-member group heading to Tawang town. The group was near the lake at Sela Pass, about 130 km from Tawang. Tawang’s Superintendent of Police, D. W. Thongon, said police, Sashastra Seema Bal, and State Disaster Response Force launched a rescue operation after receiving information around 3 p.m. “We managed to overcome challenging conditions to retrieve the body of one tourist. The search for the missing person had to be suspended due to fading light and harsh weather,” he said. “We shall resume the operation tomorrow (Saturday) at 8 a.m.,” added Mr. Thongon. The tragedy occurred when the tourists stepped onto the frozen lake, causing the ice to crack and suck them under. Authorities said warning signs are placed at Sela Lake and other tourist spots, prohibiting walking on frozen lakes. The district administration had issued a warning on December 17, 2025, advising tourists not to enter frozen lakes due to unstable ice. Dinu’s body is at Jang Community Health Centre, about 40 km away, where a post-mortem will be done on January 17, 2026.