MAPUSA
In a tragic incident at Baga-Calangute, a 6-year-old tourist girl from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, drowned in the sea late Sunday evening. The deceased has been identified as Zoya Hussain. She reportedly entered the water with her elder brother, unnoticed by their caretaker, and was swept away by the current.
The incident occurred around 8:10 pm on Sunday. Due to low tide, her body was found at 9:16 pm near a shack. Tourist police and fire service personnel attempted CPR and rushed her to Candolim Health Centre, where doctors declared her dead on arrival.
Earlier that evening, Zoya and her 10-year-old brother were sent for a walk on Baga beach with a domestic caretaker. During the outing, the caretaker was distracted by a phone call, allowing the children to approach the sea unsupervised. The far end of the beach is dimly lit. Zoya was pulled in by the current, while her brother shouted for help.
Tourist police patrolling nearby heard the boy’s cries and rushed to the spot. Upon learning what had happened, they alerted lifeguards, the fire department, and the local police. A search operation was launched immediately, but Zoya could not be located for nearly an hour.
At 9:16 pm, staff at a shack nearby noticed a girl’s body floating in the water. Emergency services retrieved her and transported her to the health centre.
Police Inspector Rahul Parab and Sub-Inspector Dhawalikar conducted a panchanama and sent the body for post-mortem to Goa Medical College. Further investigation is underway by Calangute Police.
