Holy dip on Shivratri turns tragic as three drown, two go missing in Vizag

Every year, the Beach Road in Vizag witnesses large crowds turn up by the shore on the eve of Maha Shivratri. As a part of the ritual, people take a holy dip in the waters and offer prayers to Lord Shiva. This year too, the beaches in the city drew hundreds of devotees. Unfortunately, the festival turned tragic as three persons drowned while taking a dip in Vizag.

According to sources, two of the deceased were identified as S Ganesh (22), an electrician, and P Jagadeesh (17), both residents of Lakshmi Nagar, Gopalapatnam area. Another victim is a 35-year-old woman.

The Arilova police said that the two persons, along with 20 other members of their families, visited the Rushikonda beach at around 3 PM on Friday. While Ganesh was reportedly pulled into waters by high tide, Jagadeesh, who had gone to rescue him, was also swept away. Reportedly, the youngsters were immediately traced. However, Jagadeesh was declared dead on the spot. Ganesh, on the other hand, breathed his last while undergoing treatment at a private hospital in the city.

In another incident, a 35-year-old woman was pulled in by strong waves at RK Beach on Friday afternoon. Noticing this, the devotees alerted the lifeguards and community guards. The rescue team brought her to the shore and offered her the required first aid. The 35-year-old was later shifted to the King George Hospital. Reportedly, she passed away while receiving treatment.

According to reports, two more individuals, Srinu (17) and Srikanth (24) were swept away at Yarada Beach and RK Beach respectively during the Maha Shivratri in Vizag. The two men were reportedly pulled into the sea by strong waves while they were taking the dip. Swimmers, police, and local fishermen tried in vain to trace them. Based on a complaint from families of the missing youth, the Vizag police registered cases.