Four school students drown at Murudeshwar Beach, Karnataka CM announces Rs 5 lakh ex-gratia

PTI, Dec 11, 2024, 3:25 PM IST

Karwar: Four class nine girl students from a residential school drowned in the sea at Murudeshwar in Uttara Kannada district, during an educational tour, police said on Wednesday.

A group of 46 students and six teachers from Morarji Desai Residential School, Mulabagilu in Kolar district visited Murudeshwar on Tuesday as part of their school trip.

According to the police, around 5.30 pm, the teachers, along with the students went to the beach.

Despite warnings from lifeguards, seven students ventured into the sea. The sea was rough, and three girls were swept away by the current, while another girl died on the spot.

The remaining three students were rescued with the help of lifeguards and other agencies. They were immediately taken to the hospital and are now reported to be out of danger, a senior police officer said.

A search operation involving lifeguards, home guards, fishermen, and police recovered the bodies of the three girls feared drowned on Wednesday morning.

“We have registered a case under Section 106 (Causing death by negligence) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and arrested all six teachers in connection with the incident,” said Narayana M, Superintendent of Police, Uttara Kannada.

The teachers were later released on station bail, he added.

The deceased girls, aged 15, have been identified as Shravanti, Deeksha, Lavanya, and Lipika. Police confirmed that post-mortem examinations were completed, and arrangements are being made to send the bodies to their hometowns.

Expressing his condolence to the bereaved parents, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the deceased students.

Taking to the social media platform ‘X,’ he said: “The families of the four students who died in the accident will be given a compensation of Rs 5 lakh each by the state government. I have spoken to the Deputy Commissioner of Uttara Kannada district and suggested making arrangements to transport the bodies to their hometowns.” He emphasised the need for greater caution by teachers during trips. “Children should be supervised while visiting dangerous places. I understand the pain of parents who have lost their children. I pray such incidents never happen again,” he added.