KARWAR: Six people, including four women, drowned on Sunday at the Nagaramadi waterfalls, located about 14 km from Karwar. Police said that about 40 tourists from Goa had come in different groups to visit the waterfalls. Around 2 pm the water in the creek started increasing and some of the tourists who were inside the water came out. But six people w ho could not make it to the shore were swept away in the gushing waters.
The entire drowning incident of four women and a man was recorded by one of the tourists at the spot. A man from another group also washed away during the same time.
Police said that the deceased Francila Pires, 21, Fiona Pacheco, 29, Marcelina Estebio, 38, Renuka, 23, Siddhu Chari,21 and Sameer Gavade, 23. While four women hailed from Madgoan, Siddhu and Sameer hailed from Vasco and Ponda respectively. The rescue operation will begin again on Monday morning.
While two bodies were recovered soon after the tragedy, search for four others was being held till the lights faded around the waterfalls. Search operations will begin again on Monday morning.
Other tourists in the spot were in the state of shock. Goa MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco visited the spot and spoke to the officials regarding the search operation. Police said that warning sign boards have been put up near the falls. “The region is receiving heavy rainfall for the past few days. Due to large catchment area around the waterfall, it is possible that the water level here has gone up. The survivors told us that they could feel the water level raising when they were inside water and hence ran towards the shore,” an official said.