KAKINADA: In a tragic accident, three youths, all belonging to the same family, drowned after falling into an irrigation canal near Venkatayapalem in the Ramachandrapuram constituency of Konaseema district.
The deceased were identified as Kanikella Ranjith (15) and Bokka Virendra (19) from Pasalapudi village, and Vasudha Pavani (14) from Padamara Kandriga village.
According to officials, the trio had gathered in the village to attend their grandfather’s death anniversary and were scheduled to board a bus back to Hyderabad later in the day.
The incident occurred when the victims were walking along the canal bank.
One of the youths accidentally slipped and fell into the fast-flowing water. The other two jumped in to rescue him but were swept away by the strong current. Upon receiving information about the mishap, search teams from the Revenue, Police, and Fire Services departments launched a search operation.
All three bodies were recovered and shifted to government hospital for post-mortem. District In-charge Minister K Atchannaidu expressed grief over the tragedy, assuring government support to the bereaved family.
Issuing a safety advisory, District Collector Mahesh Kumar Ravirala urged the public, particularly students, to exercise caution near water bodies, canals, and rivers across the district, while calling on parents to maintain vigilant oversight of their children’s safety.