Picnics near the waters transformed into tragedies after 11 youths were killed in twin drowning incidents in Pune and Nagpur districts of Maharashtra.
Four students from a private educational institute drowned in Pavana Dam reservoir in Lonavla. According to the Pune rural police, the group had come with five others on motorbikes after the end of their internal exams.
On Sunday afternoon, one of the youths recklessly entered the reservoir waters heedless of the lethal currents. As he began drowning, three others plunged in a desperate attempt to save his life only to be swept away. All four bodies were fished out by early Monday morning, said National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel, who assisted the Lonavla police in the hunt.
In a similar incident, a group of twelve went picnicking near Mangrur Lake on the outer fringes of Nagpur city. Throwing prudence to the winds, nine among the group embarked on a boat ride, unmooring the vessel anchored nearby.
The boat, unable to take the load of the group, capsized in the middle of the lake even as the youngsters struck poses to click photos on their mobile phones. The two, who could swim made it to safety while the others drowned, said police, adding that all were residents of the Aashirwad Nagar area.
