Four siblings, including two women, and their neighbour drowned in a pond near a dargah on Siddara Betta near Dobbspet on Saturday.
The deceased have been identified as Usman Khan, 14, Yaarab Khan, 21, Reshma, 22, and Mubeen Taj, 21, all siblings, and Muneer Khan, 49, their neighbour. The siblings, along with their mother, Shakeela, had planned a weekend getaway to Siddara Betta and had taken two auto-rickshaws to the spot.
Shakeela, who watched the tragedy unfold as she had not entered the pond, alerted the police. “The group lived in Hegde Nagar on Thanisandra Main Road. After their prayers at the dargah around noon, they cooked food at the spot. Between noon and 12.30 p.m., Usman ventured near the pond, slipped and fell in. His brother Yaarab jumped into the water to save him, but he too was seen struggling to stay afloat, said the police.
When they saw their brothers struggling in the water, Reshma and Mubeen Taj also jumped into the water. “All four did not know how to swim. At this point, Muneer tried to rescue them, but in vain,” a police source said.
Shakeela informed the control room, which alerted the Fire and Emergency Services personnel. The police also alerted people living in the area, who tried to look for the victims. Subsequently, the police arrived and recovered the bodies.
Ram Nivas Sepat, Superintendent of Police, Bengaluru Rural, visited the spot and instructed the district administration to fence the pond and put up warning signs.
