Five Hyderabad youths drown during holy dip in Godavari river

Hyderabad:In a tragic incident, five youngsters lost their lives due to drowning in Basar, Nirmal district, on Sunday.

The deceased were identified as Rakesh, Vinod, Madan, Rithik, and Bharath. Reportedly, all the deceased are from the same family and from Hyderabad.

As it is Sunday, with schools starting soon, many devotees visited the Gnana Saraswathi Devi temple by the Godavari River. This is one of the oldest shrines in the state. Devotees came to perform Akshara Abhyasam for their children. It is believed that performing Akshara Abhyasam ensures a bright future for the children.

The youths and their families took a holy dip in the Godavari River as part of the ritual. They also planned to visit the temple. In an unexpected twist, the youths who went for a holy dip lost control and drowned because they couldn't swim.

The police have swung into action and recovered the dead bodies with the help of expert swimmers. Further, the authorities shifted the bodies to the government hospital for post-mortem examination.