Kadapa: A holiday visit ended in heartbreaking tragedy in Andhra Pradesh’s Kadapa district, where five children drowned in a village pond late Tuesday night. The incident occurred in Mallepalli village, where the children had gone swimming and failed to return.
DSP Rajendra Prasad confirmed the deaths and identified the victims as Charan (15), Harsha Vardhan (12), Partha Sarathi (15), another Harsha Vardhan (12), and Dikshit (12). All five were reportedly spending their summer holidays at their grandparents’ home in the village.
When the children didn’t come back, their families launched a search and found their clothes near the pond, confirming their worst fears. Police were called in and, with the help of expert divers, recovered the bodies. They were later shifted to a government hospital for post-mortem formalities.
The incident has cast a deep pall over the village, with inconsolable scenes at the homes of the deceased. Families said the children had been excited to visit their ancestral home during the school break.
Former Chief Minister and YSRCP chief Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy expressed his grief over the tragedy and urged the government to provide all necessary assistance to the affected families.