BELAGAVI: A group selfie turned tragic for four young girls who fell into a water reservoir at Kitwad dam near Belagavi and drowned on Saturday morning. The girls slipped and fell when they were taking a selfie while standing on the edge of the water reservoir.
The deceased have been identified as Aasia Mujawar (17), resident of Ujwal Nagar, Kudshia Hasim Patel (20), Rukhsar Bhisti (20), and Tasmia Bhisti (20), all residents of Zatpat Colony in Anagol. Another girl who was part of the group was saved by some people who were present there.
Kitwad dam is situated on the Maharashtra-Karnataka border and is 26 km away from Belagavi.
According to the sources, a group of 40 girls who are studying at Bashiban Madrasa and other schools in Belagavi had gone for a weekend picnic to the dam situated in Chandgad taluk of Kolhapur district.
The group of five girls, who were taking a selfie, fell into the reservoir when one of them slipped on the cement struture on which they were standing.
All five were holding each other’s shoulders. Some people present at the spot were able to save one girl. The bodies of the four girls who drowned were recovered and brought to the district hospital in Belagavi and handed over to their families. A case has been registered at Chandgad police station of Maharashtra.
DCP (Law and Order) Ravindra Gadadi said, “The madrasa students went on a picnic to the waterfalls in Maharashtra. None of them knew how to swim. Some youths recently drowned in water stored in the stone quarries. I appeal to people who do not know swimming not to go closer to water bodies. Parents should be cautious while sending their children out for picnics”.