VIJAYAWADA: In a tragic incident, five engineering students from VIT University, Amaravati, drowned while three others were rescued at Vadarevu Beach in Chirala of Bapatla district on Sunday evening.
According to police, the mishap occurred around 5 pm when eight students ventured into the sea for a swim and were caught in strong currents. While three managed to swim back to safety, five were swept away.
The victims were identified as Saketh, Manideep, Satwik, Somesh, and Gowtham. The group had reportedly visited the beach to spend their holiday together.
Local fishermen and police, along with expert swimmers, launched rescue operations. The bodies of Saketh, Manideep, and Satwik were recovered later in the evening, while the search continues for Somesh and Gowtham, who remain missing.
Teams from the Chirala police, fire department, and State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) continued the search operations till late in the night. Aerial searches were also conducted along the coastline with the help of a helicopter.
Bapatla SP B Umamaheswar Rao said that the rescue efforts were being hampered by high tides but assured that intensive searches were underway. Meanwhile, officials of VIT University expressed deep shock over the incident.
4 youths rescued at Manginapudi Beach
In a separate incident, two marine police constables risked their lives to save four youths from drowning at Manginapudi Beach in Machilipatnam on Sunday morning. The youths — Abdul Asif, Sk Arfath, Sk Sikandar, and Sharif of Kapileswarapuram — were caught in strong waves while bathing in the sea. Constables Nancharaiah and Shekhar immediately rushed to their rescue and safely brought them ashore.