In a heart-rending incident, three women of a village in T Narasipur taluk who were on going to attend a funeral drowned in the Cauvery after the coracle in which they were crossing the river capsized on Monday.
Six out of the nine people in the coracle were rescued and have been admitted to the government hospital. The deceased have been identified as Malathi (28), wife of Krishnaiah, Mahadevamma (40), wife of Mahadeva Naika, and Sannamma (50), widow of Venkataramaiah.
According to officials, Rathnamma, Lakshmidevi, Bhagyamma, Jayamma, Bogalethnamma and Mahadevamma, along with the deceased, had approached sand mining labourers to take them to Neelasoge village on the other side of the river in a coracle. They were going for the funeral of a relative. But the coracle was caught in strong water currents in the middle of the river and capsized.
Hearing the women’s cries for help, local youths rushed to the spot and managed to rescue six women.
The fire personnel later fished out the bodies of two women. Police have registered a case and are investigating.