KARWAR, KOLAR : In a tragic incident, four 15-year-old girl students were washed away at Murdeshwar Beach in Uttara Kannada district on Tuesday evening. Bodies of all four girls, who were all studying in Class 9, were fished out on Wednesday. The deceased—Diksha, Lavanya, Vandana, and Shravanthi—were all students of Morarji Desai Residential School in Mulbagal taluk of Kolar district.
The victims had come to Murdeshwar on Tuesday along with other students and teachers. The students had entered the shore in the evening, and during a photoshoot, a large wave hit the group. The shore was crowded on Tuesday, and there were at least 600 people on the beach. The beach has just four lifeguards, and despite warnings, the school children ventured to the beach.
The local fishermen and youth jumped into the sea to rescue the students. While three girls were rescued, the body of one girl was fished out on Tuesday night.
The other three bodies were found on Wednesday. The district administration has ordered the immediate closure of the beach for tourists following the incident.
Meanwhile, the government has suspended the school principal, Sashikala, four guest teachers, and supporting staff who had accompanied the children on the trip. Additionally, the government announced a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each for the families of the deceased students.
Local residents alleged that the lack of an adequate rescue team at the beach was responsible for the delay in saving the girls. The lifeguards recently appointed at the beach are yet to receive certification and proper equipment, they alleged. “In recent months, several water activities at Murdeshwar Beach were stopped.
If there had been water boats and jet skis, the rescue would have been quicker. We had requested Mankal Vaidya, Minister of Fisheries, who also represents this region, to increase trained manpower at the beach,” said a local tourist operator.
The three girls who were rescued are undergoing treatment at a hospital in Murdeshwar. Their condition is improving. The remaining kids returned to Kolar on Tuesday night itself.
Meanwhile, the Kolar district administration and the police have taken all steps to bring back the mortal remains of the four students to Mulbagal taluk. On Wednesday, hundreds of parents and others gathered outside the school and demanded action against those responsible for the tragedy.
Kolar Deputy Commissioner Akram Pasha said that the bodies of the four girls will reach Kolar on Thursday morning, and will be kept on the premises of the DC’s office for members of the public to pay their homage. According to informed sources, an education trip was arranged for the Class 9 students of the school. A total of 46 students (27 girls and 19 boys) left on December 8 and reached Murudeshwar on December 10.