Bharatpur, June 11 -- Eight people drowned and three others were rescued after they slipped into a deep stretch of Banas river in Rajasthan's Tonk district on Tuesday, police said. According to Tonk superintendent of police (SP) Vikas Sangwan, the accident took place when a group of 11 men from Hasanpura area in Jaipur, all aged between 25 and 30 years, had gone for a picnic near a Shiv temple along the Banas river. Eight of them decided to go for a swim while the rest were on the river bank preparing food. "After they heard a commotion they went to the river and saw their friends drowning. They, too, plunged into the river in a bid to save them. When locals learnt about the incident, they informed the police and a rescue operation was launched immediately. While three of them could be rescued, the bodies of eight others were fished out later," Sangwan said, adding, "The bodies have been kept in the mortuary and will be handed over to their families after post mortem examination." Jaipur district collector Jitendra Soni, who also holds additional charge of Tonk, said he will visit the spot to take a stock of the security measures. "I will visit the site and other similar spots where such incidents have occurred. I will assess what safety measures need to be implemented," he said. The deceased have been identified as Naushad Khan (35), Rusim Khan, and Farhan Khan, from Hasanpura area; Rijwan Khan (26) and Bablu Khan from Ghat Gate area; Nawab Khan (28) and Sajid Khan (20) from Kachchi Basti area, and Nabed Khan (30) from Ramganj Bazar area in Jaipur. Three others - Shahrukh Khan (30), Salman Khan (26), and Samir Khan (32) - are undergoing treatment at Sadat hospital, Sangwan said. Expressing condolence over the incident, Rajasthan chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma wrote on X, "The news of the deaths due to drowning in the Banas river 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 operations immediately. I pray for peace to the departed souls and strength to the bereaved families to bear this immense sorrow." Former chief minister and senior Congress leader 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 eight people drowned in the Banas river. My deepest condolences are with the bereaved parents and relatives. The administration and the government should ensure that such incidents do not recur," Gehlot wrote on X. "I pray to God to give peace to the departed souls and strength to the family members in this difficult time," he added....