the goan I network
VASCO/KARWAR
Two women drowned while four others were missing when a picnic by a group from different parts of Goa ended in tragedy at the Nagarmadi waterfalls in Chendia, about 15 kms south of Karwar town, on Sunday afternoon.
According to reports from the Karwar Rural Police Station and some members of the group, the incident took place as a group of about 50 people from different parts of Goa had gone for a picnic at the Nagarmadi waterfalls. A group of about 16 persons were from Vasco, while others were from Raia and Ponda.
A group of picnickers were in the waterfalls at about 2.30 pm, when heavy rains in the area caused water from the nearby forest area to flow into the waterfall. The stream suddenly began swelling with the gushing water, catching the picnickers off guard.
About eight of them were washed away by the gushing water in the stream, as the other picnickers were horrified to witness the incident. Many moved away to safety and began making calls to seek immediate help.
Two persons from Vasco, Yeshwant Naik and Vishnu Yadav, were also washed in the waters, but survived as they desperately caught hold of a tree and got stuck in the rocks for about an hour, till they were rescued.
On hearing the news, Karwar MLA Satish Sail rushed his brother, Shyam, and a team of firefighters to the site, for the search and rescue operations. According to the Karwar police, the bodies of Francila Pires Fernandes (21) and Fiona Rodrigues Pacheco (28), both from Raia, were retrieved from the stream, while others missing were identified as Siddesh Chari (22) of Vasco, Sameer Gawade (32) of Ponda, Marceilna Mexica Estibeiro (38) and Renuka (23), both from Raia. The injured were shifted to the Karwar Government hospital, while the other picnickers were taken to a cottage belonging to the Karwar MLA. Yeshwant Naik and Vishnu Yadav received medical treatment and were later discharged from the hospital.
Search operations for the four missing persons were called off late Sunday evening on account of bad light and are expected to resume on Monday morning.
Meanwhile, relatives of the missing persons have rushed to Karwar on hearing of the tragedy. A Karwar Rural police sub-inspector said two bodies were handed over to relatives, after necessary formalities and investigations are in progress.
CONFIRMED DEAD
Francila Pires Fernandes (21 - Raia)
Fiona Rodrigues Pacheco (28 - Raia)
THEY ARE MISSING
Siddesh Chari
(22 - Vasco)
Sameer Gawade
(32 - Ponda)
Marceilna Mexica Estibeiro (38 - Raia)
Renuka (23 - Raia)
