BELAGAVI
A Belagavi family’s outing turned into a tragedy on Friday evening after five members drowned and two others went missing in the Arabian Sea near the Shiroda-Velgar Beach in Sindhudurg-Maharashtra. A 16-year-old girl was rescued and is reportedly safe.
The family, hailing from Londa village in Khanapur taluka, had travelled to Maharashtra for a Dussehra holiday.
Their picnic to the Shiroda-Velgar Beach, which is barely about 7 kms from Tiracol in Goa, turned fatal when eight of them entered the water and were caught off guard by the sea’s sudden depth. Within moments, the group began to struggle.
Local police and disaster management teams rushed to the scene and launched rescue operations. By late evening, the bodies of three victims were recovered. They were identified as Farin Irfan Kittur (34), Ibad Kittur (13), and Nameera Akter (16). Two more bodies were recovered later.
Efforts to trace the remaining two missing family members are ongoing. Authorities said rescue operations would continue on Saturday with the help of coastal police and local volunteers.
Police officials have appealed to the public to strictly follow safety advisories while visiting beaches, especially during festive holidays when crowds gather at coastal spots.
