Kurnool: Six school going children died while swimming in a pond at Chigili village in Aspari mandal on Wednesday. They were students of the 5th standard at the local primary school.
The deceased were Sasikumar, Kinnera Sai, Sai Kiran, Bhimesh, Vinay and Mahaboob Basha, aged between 10 and 11 years. According to sources, the children attended school in the morning. Later, seven of them went to the pond for swimming. Mistaking it to be shallow, they entered the pond, which had filled up due to the recent rains.
One boy, who stayed outside as he was afraid of swimming, noticed the others struggling in the deep water. He alerted the villagers. They rushed to the spot and began a search, but their efforts went in vain. Aspari police aided by others reached the site and, along with villagers, fished out all six bodies. These were later handed over to their families.
Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu expressed deep grief over the loss of young lives and promised governmental assistance to the families. Former chief minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy and several other leaders and ministers conveyed their condolences to the affected families.
