KURNOOL: In a tragic incident, six schoolchildren drowned in a water pond at Chigiri village in Aspari mandal, Kurnool district, on Wednesday evening, plunging the entire village into grief and shock.
The victims were identified as Beemesh, Vinay, Mahabub Basha, Sai Kiran, Seshi Kumar, and Kinnera Sai, all fifth-class students at the local government school in Chigiri village.
According to police, after school hours, the children went to the pond near the ZP High School on the village outskirts to swim. Sadly, they slipped into the deeper section of the pond and were unable to come out.
Hearing their cries, a shepherd rushed to the spot but failed to save them as they were already in deep water. Despite the villagers’ efforts to rescue them, it was too late, and the children lost their lives.
The incident sent the village into mourning. Parents, relatives, and villagers wept inconsolably as the lifeless bodies of the young boys were pulled out of the water. As the sun set over Chigiri village, the once cheerful atmosphere turned somber, with the cries of grieving parents echoing through the streets.
Upon receiving information, Alur MLA Veerupakshi, RDO Bharath Naik, and CI Gangadhar rushed to the spot, supervised rescue efforts, and assured immediate support for the families. Police registered a case and began investigating the circumstances that led to the tragedy.
The RDO said precautionary measures would be explored to prevent such incidents in the future. Meanwhile, condolences poured in from across the state.
CM extends all support to families of boys
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep shock and sorrow, calling the incident extremely unfortunate. “The untimely death of children with a bright future has left their families with irreparable grief. The government will stand by the families and extend all support,” he added.
State Education and IT Minister Nara Lokesh described the deaths as a “painful and irrecoverable loss.” He assured that the government would provide every possible assistance to the bereaved families. Minister TG Bharath also expressed profound grief, stating that the deaths of the six young students had shaken him deeply. He held a telephonic review with District Collector P. Ranjith Basha to gather details and assured necessary measures.
Minister BC Janardhan Reddy termed the incident most unfortunate and extended condolences. Parents must be cautious and keep a close watch on their children’s activities to avoid such tragedies, he said.