- Three teenage girls drowned at Mullungummi waterfall in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri district
- The girls slipped from a rock while taking photos and were swept away by the current
- Two other girls with them escaped safely without injury
Three teenage girls drowned while trying to take photos at a waterfall in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitharama Raju district on Thursday.
The incident took place at Mullungummi waterfall near Burja panchayat in Hukumpeta mandal. Five girls from Jambavalasa village had gone to the waterfall during the festival holidays.
Police said the girls were taking photos and selfie videos near the waterfall when three of them climbed onto a large rock in the middle of the stream. They slipped and fell into the water.
Locals nearby rushed to rescue them, but the strong current swept the girls away. Their bodies were later recovered from the water.
The victims were identified as Trisha, 17, Ratna Kumari, 16, and Pavitra, 16. The other two girls escaped safely.
Police and revenue officials reached the spot and shifted the bodies for postmortem. A case has been registered and an inquiry is underway.
The tragedy has raised concerns over safety at waterfalls in the Alluri district which is known for its beautiful picnic location and picturesque waterfalls where several drowning incidents have been reported in past. While officials say many visitors ignore warnings and move into dangerous areas to take photographs and videos, locals demanded more warning boards, barricades and police deployment at popular tourist spots to prevent such accidents in future.
