Five engineering students from two universities in Andhra Pradesh drowned in the Godavari river in Eluru district on Friday, near Bhadrachalam in Telangana, police said on Saturday.
The deceased were identified as Podicheti Abhiram (19), Charugulla Srikar Gupta (21), Daggupati Navadeep (19), whose bodies were recovered on Friday night, and Pasam Satish Kumar (19) and Teja Gnana Sai (19), whose bodies were retrieved on Saturday morning, said police.
Polavaram DSP M Venkateswara Rao said, “Seven second-year engineering students, including five from SRM University, Amaravati, and two from KL University, Vijayawada, had travelled to Bhadrachalam on Thursday. They stayed at a temple guest house and offered prayers at Sri Seetha Ramachandra Swamy Devasthanam on the occasion of Ugadi.”
“On Friday morning, the group went to the Kollugudem sand ramp in Veleru village. Finding little water there, they walked nearly 3 km to a deeper stretch of the river. After taking photographs, six students entered the water,” said the DSP.
“As they moved further into the river holding hands, they entered a deeper portion. One student slipped first, and the others were pulled in while trying to rescue him,” the DSP said.
One student, identified as Harshvardhan, managed to swim to safety, while the remaining five went missing, the officer said, adding that the student on the bank, Chunduri Deepak, raised an alarm, but there was allegedly no immediate help.
{{/usCountry}}One student, identified as Harshvardhan, managed to swim to safety, while the remaining five went missing, the officer said, adding that the student on the bank, Chunduri Deepak, raised an alarm, but there was allegedly no immediate help.
{{/usCountry}}Locals who were fishing nearby later joined rescue efforts, followed by fire services and SDRF teams, the DSP said.
Andhra Pradesh chief minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed grief over the incident and said the government would extend all possible support to the victims’ families.
Meanwhile, police have registered a case under Section 194 (unnatural death) under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). “The bodies were sent to Bhadrachalam Government Hospital for post-mortem examination, and later, handed over to the relatives,” police said.