Five BTech Students Drown in Godavari River During Ugadi Holiday Picnic
A devastating tragedy unfolded on Friday when five second-year BTech students from SRM University drowned in the Godavari River near the Andhra Pradesh-Telangana border. The incident occurred during the Ugadi holiday period, casting a shadow over what should have been a festive time.
Photography Trip Turns Deadly
According to police reports, seven engineering students from the private SRM University in Amaravati visited Veleru village under Kukkunuru mandal in Eluru district of Andhra Pradesh. The group was picnicking and taking photographs near the river when disaster struck around 11:30 am.
The students lost their balance and fell into the water while attempting to capture pictures near the riverbank. Police investigation revealed there was a sand ramp nearby, but the river was unexpectedly deep in that particular area. Authorities suspect the students may have misjudged the depth, thinking the sand ramp indicated shallow water, and ventured too far.
Rescue Efforts and Missing Students
Of the seven students, two who knew swimming managed to swim back to safety. Local fishermen who heard their cries for help rushed to assist, but unfortunately arrived too late to save the others.
Police immediately responded to the scene and deployed expert swimmers to search for the missing students. State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) teams later joined the intensive search operation.
While two bodies have been recovered, three students remain missing as of the latest reports. The retrieved bodies have been identified as Podicheti Abhiram and Cheguntla Srikar Gupta. Search operations continue for Gone Teja (from Vuyyur town), Pasam Satish Kumar (from Madanapalle), and Daggubati Navadeep (also from Vuyyur).
Aftermath and Official Response
The two rescued students, Chunduti Deepak (from Kalidindi) and Gadla Harsha (from Vizianagaram), have been hospitalized and are reportedly suffering from trauma following the harrowing experience.
All recovered bodies have been shifted to Bhachrachalam government hospital for postmortem procedures.
Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep shock over the incident and has directed authorities to continue search operations until all missing students are located. The chief minister assured that the state government will stand by the families of the deceased students and extend all possible support during this difficult time.
This tragic incident serves as a sobering reminder of the dangers posed by natural water bodies, especially during holiday periods when students and families often visit rivers and beaches for recreation.
