Three children drowned to death at M. Rachapalli village of Chitvel mandal in Annamayya district during the ‘Sri Rama Navami’ celebration on Friday night.
The Rajampeta sub-division police said that while the village residents were busy with a temple procession in connection with the Sri Rama Navami festivities, the children, all aged seven, strayed near a pond late in the evening. After venturing into the water, the trio drowned, the police added.
Meanwhile, the family members of the deceased believed that the children were at the temple and had returned home around midnight. However, after realising that the kids were missing, a search was launched by the locals. The police and the temple management tried to trace the children through a public address system, but in vain.
With the help of flashlights, the search continued to the location of the pond, where the bodies of the three were found at a corner. The victims were identified as Devansh, Vijay, and Yashwant. The doctors at the government hospital at Pullampeta declared them dead. After the post-mortem, the bodies were handed over to the families on Saturday.
Railway Kodur MLA Arava Sridhar and senior Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and Jana Sena Party (JSP) leaders visited the village and consoled the family members. The police registered a case. Circle-Inspector (CI) Venkateswarulu urged parents to be cautious while allowing their children to venture near waterbodies and wells during the holidays.
Published – April 12, 2025 07:44 pm IST
