Four drown in Harsul Lake; one dies attempting rescue, another jumps to death

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Four youths died in separate incidents at Harsul Lake on Sunday afternoon between 3 pm and 3.30 pm, Harsul police said.

The deceased were identified as Affan Khan (15) and Maishid alias Adil Shaikh (13) both residents of Nizamganj Bhavani Nagar, Karan More (22, Amber Hill, Jatwada Road), and Yash Dehade (25, Siddharth Nagar, N-12, Cidco) who died by suicide. Police inspector Swati Kedar confirmed the details. According to police, Affan, Adil and their friend Wasif, who live opposite each other, had gone to the lake around 1 pm. Afnan and Maishid entered the water, while Wasif, who did not know how to swim, remained seated near the edge of the lake. At the same time, Karan More had also come there for swimming. Afnan and Maishid entered the lake holding each other’s hands. After moving some distance inside, they misjudged the depth and got stuck in a deep pit filled with silt. Seeing the two boys drowning simultaneously, Karan More jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue them. However, all three drowned within moments. Wasif, who was sitting outside the water, raised an alarm but there was no one nearby. He informed Afnan’s father over the phone about the incident. Municipal security guard Rajendra Gavale alerted the fire brigade. Soon, a team from the N-9 fire station reached the spot and retrieved the three bodies from the lake. They were shifted to Government Medical College and Hospital(GMCH) for examination. By then, the relatives of the deceased had gathered at the scene.

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Fire brigade turned back midway

Soon after leaving the spot, the fire brigade was alerted that another youth had jumped into the lake. The team turned back immediately. Yash Dehade had leapt from the railing near the filtration point. A security guard tried to rescue him with a stick, but he sank. He was retrieved and rushed to GMCH, where doctors declared him dead. The operation was led by deputy fire officer Vijay Rathod and team. Police have registered an accidental death case.

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Crowd at GMCH; Nizamganj in mourning

The four bodies reaching GMCH within a short span led to a large crowd of relatives and residents from Nizamganj. Police initially faced difficulty identifying two minors; confirmation came around 10 pm. The locality plunged into mourning as residents gathered to console the families.

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Tailor father waits in silence

Adil lost his life in the drowning incident, leaving his family shattered. His body was brought to GMCH for post-mortem, drawing a large gathering of Bhavaninagar residents. His father, Mohsin, a tailor who earns daily wages through stitching work, is the sole breadwinner. A Class VIII student of Dnyanprasad School in Sanjaynagar, Adil was described as a bright child with aspirations. His family, including his sister, is struggling to cope with the sudden loss.

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Two friends gone within hours

Affan, also from Bhavaninagar, died in the same incident. His father works as a plumber and supports four sons. Relatives said another boy rushed home to inform the family. Affan and Adil, who lived opposite each other, were close friends and were seen playing mobile games in the morning; by evening, both had drowned. It remains unclear whether they knew how to swim.