Incident at Srirangapatna canal; one student dies at hospital

Mysuru:  In a heart-wrenching tragedy near Sri Cauvery Boredevara Temple, located on the outskirts of Mandyadakoppalu village in Srirangapatna taluk of Mandya district, three students were washed away in the Ramaswamy Canal yesterday evening while washing clothes and utensils.

A total of six students were swept away by the strong currents. Locals managed to rescue three of them, but one girl later succumbed at the hospital. The bodies of two students were recovered this morning. Search is on to trace another student who was washed away.

The victims — Hani (14), a Class 9 student; Afreen (13), a Class 7 student; and JaniaParveen (13), also a Class 7 student — were all students of Hajira Rizwan (Arabic School) Madrassa at Udayagiri, Mysuru. The bodies of Hani and Afreen were retrieved from the canal this morning. Search is on to           locate Jania Parveen.

Locals acted swiftly and rescued Ayesha (13), Albia (22) and Mohammad Gouse (13), who were immediately rushed to K.R. Hospital in Mysuru. Despite medical efforts, Ayesha could not be saved.

Students brought to clean utensils

According to Arakere Police, a group of 15 students had been brought to the canal by four staff members for cleaning activities. They had arrived at the spot in a Tata Ace vehicle.

While immersing utensils in the canal, one boy reportedly slipped and was pulled by the current. In an attempt to rescue him, six students entered the water and were swept away by the strong flow.

Fire and Emergency Services personnel and expert swimmers launched an intensive search operation soon after the incident to locate the missing girls. The search was suspended late last night due to poor visibility and resumed early this morning.

The incident has been registered under the jurisdiction of the Arakere Police Station, and an investigation is underway to determine the circumstances that led to the tragedy. Questions are being raised about the lack of safety measures and supervision during such student outings.

In the wake of the incident, Mandya Deputy Commissioner Dr. Kumara visited the site this morning to assess the situation and gather details from local Police and officials. The District Administration is expected to review safety protocols in the area to prevent such accidents in the future.