A fun-filled Sunday outing turned into a devastating tragedy after four youngsters drowned in a lake near Mardi Road in Amravati district. The group had reportedly selected the picnic destination after discovering the location on Instagram.
The incident took place at Ghatkheda lake near Gode College, where a group of ten boys and girls from the Kholapuri Gate area had gathered for a “dabba party.” The deceased have been identified as Sonali Narendra Joshi (16), Manav alias Aditya Narendra Joshi (12), Payal Bablu Pandit (21), and Yash Gajanan Kakane (13).
According to police sources, Narendra Sahadev Joshi had dropped the children near the lake on Sunday afternoon. After enjoying lunch together around 1:30 pm, the group began clicking selfies and group photographs near the waterbody.
At around 2 pm, nine members of the group entered the lake, while one girl remained outside. During this time, 12-year-old Aditya Joshi reportedly got trapped in the muddy portion of the lake and started drowning. In an attempt to rescue him, his sister Sonali, along with relatives Payal Pandit and Yash Kakane, entered the water. However, due to the unexpected depth and thick mud inside the lake, all four drowned.
After receiving information about the incident, local villagers, police personnel, and rescue teams rushed to the spot and launched a rescue operation. A girl identified as Aachal was saved with the help of local resident Kartik Makeshwar, who used a wooden stick to pull her to safety.
The Fraserpura Police Station has registered a case of accidental death and further investigation is underway.
Emotional scenes were witnessed at Irwin Hospital during the post-mortem process, as grieving family members broke down in tears. The tragic deaths of four youngsters on Mother’s Day have left the entire Amravati city in deep mourning.