Four persons, including three children, drowned in Ramaiah lake at Virupakshipura, Channapatna taluk, Ramanagaram district, on Saturday.
They deceased have been identified as Malathi, 35, her daughter Poornima, 8, and their neighbours Namrata, 10 and Anu, 10 — all residents of Virupakshipura village.
According to the Akkur police, the victims had gone to the lake to wash clothes. Of the children, two girls went to the middle of the lake and slipped into the water. On hearing their cries, the other two victims went to save them and they too drowned.
A few other women were also washing clothes. Despite their attempts to rescue them, the four could not be saved, the police said.
Bodies fished out
The police and residents of the village fished out the bodies. Senior police and revenue officials visited the spot.
The lake is the main source of water for the villagers in the region and was not filled to the brim for the last several years. However, it received heavy inflow of water this year following copious rain in its catchments.
Meanwhile, the Revenue Department is contemplating constructing steps and platforms to wash clothes in the lake following the incident.
