Eight members of a picnic party from a college in Belgavi, Karnataka, drowned in the sea off the Vayri coast in Sindhudurg on Saturday. Three others are in hospital.
According to the Sindhudurg police, a group of 45 students and teachers from the Maratha Engineering College had gone to Vayri near Malvan for a picnic on Saturday, and many of them ventured into the sea late in the morning.
“The current was quite strong when they entered the water. The locals warned them against going in too deep. Around half-an-hour later, some fishermen on the coast noticed a flurry of activity and rushed to help,” said an officer with the Malvan police.
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Of the 30 people who entered the sea, 19 managed to swim to safety with the help of the fishermen, while 11 others were caught in the strong waves. The fishermen, after helping 19 students to safety, went back into the water and pulled out the remaining 11 victims. They were all rushed to the civic hospital in Malvan, where eight of them were declared dead before admission, while three were admitted for treatment.
Families informed
The eight deceased include three girls, said officials.
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The police have verified the identities of the deceased with the help of the survivors and have, with the help of the college authorities, contacted their families.
Following the news of the tragedy, many parents from Belagavi rushed to Sindhudurg on Saturday.
The college remained closed. Before proceeding to Sindhudurg, Principal of the College, Prof. Vishwanath Udupi, clarified that he had not given permission for any excursion.
He had allowed only an industrial tour. He had not given permission for that also initially, but allowed the students to go after they gave an undertaking that they would make their own arrangements.
(With inputs from Hubballi Correspondent)