In a poignant tragedy five youngsters drowned in a reservoir in Nalgonda district of Telangana on Monday.
The youngsters from Hyderbad and others had gone to Dindi in Nalgonda district to attend a function following the death of a relative. They went to Dindi Reservoir on Monday for swimming but swept away by strong water currents. Apparently some of them tried to save those drowning and all of them met their watery grave. All five victims were relatives.
The deceased include D Harsha Vardhan Reddy, Pranita Reddy from Hyderabad, Jyotsna and Depamani from Dindi and Anish Reddy from Janagam in Warangal. Another youth accompanying the group survived and alerted the villagers.
As the news of their death spread, hundreds of people including family members gathered at the reservoir. The police and the revenue officials with the help of fishermen recovered their bodies. Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao expressed deep anguish over the tragedy.
State home minister N Narasimha Reddy said that the district collector and police chief were directed to rush to the village. “Government will extend all the possible help to the kin of the deceased after receiving report”, he said.
This is second big tragedy to strike Telangana in three weeks. Earlier a group of 24 engineering students from the state were washed away in Beas river in Himachal Pradesh on June 8 when they were on an excursion tour.
During the continuing search operation in Beas river, one more body was recovered on Monday. It was identified as Vishnuvardhan from Nizamabad. So far 20 bodies have bee recovered and four were still missing.