An outing for the Summer holidays turned fatal for three minor girls in Andhra Pradesh’s Alluri Sitharama Raju district, as they drowned in a waterfall while trying to take a selfie.
According to police, the incident took place near Moolagummi village in the Ananthagiri area on Thursday. The girls, all from the same village, had gone together to visit the waterfall, a spot that often attracts locals during the holiday season, news agency PTI reported. What began as a fun visit quickly escalated into a tragedy when the group moved into the water to take photographs.
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Officials said four girls were present at the time. While trying to take photos in the water, three of them reportedly lost their footing and slipped deeper. None of the three could swim, making it impossible for them to stay afloat once they fell in. Despite the presence of a fourth girl, she was unable to rescue them. She survived the incident and is currently undergoing treatment, the report said.
Police said the waterfall, though not very large, can be deceptively risky, especially for those unfamiliar with the terrain or without swimming skills. Slippery rocks and sudden drops in water depth often increase the danger for visitors.
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The identities and ages of the girls remain unclear at this time. The four of them had ventured out as schools were closed for the summer, a time when such locations tend to see more footfall from youngsters. Authorities have begun legal proceedings and are registering a case.
This comes after an eerily similar incident from the same state just days earlier: three young men drowned in the Pennar river in Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa district on Sunday evening while shooting a short film. The victims were part of an eight-member team that had gathered at Pushpagiri village for filming under the banner “Frontline Press”. While some members stayed back, five went towards the river, where three of them entered the water, reportedly unaware of its depth, and were swept into a deeper stretch.
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Police launched a search operation after being alerted, retrieving two bodies late Sunday night and the third on Monday morning. They registered a case of accidental death and sent the bodies for post-mortem.
(With inputs from PTI)
