Three drown in village pond in Vijaypura district
Hadalageri gram panchayat members accused the Muddebihal taluk panchayat for the tragedy, citing several appeals to desilt the old pond.
Two people drowned while trying to save a 16-year-old girl, who fell into a pond in Hadalageri village of Vijaypura district on Tuesday evening, a police officer familiar with the matter said, adding that the girl also drowned.
The police identified the deceased as Neelamma Hulagappa Kilarhatti (16), Laddumutya Mahaningappa Kilarhatti (25) and Yallappa Shivappa Yalawar (30), all residents of Muddebihal taluk.
All three victims were from same family.
Muddebihal police inspector Mallikarjun Tulasigeri said: “Neelamma, who had gone to graze cattle as usual, accidentally fell into the pond. Both men jumped into the pond to rescue her. Both men knew how to swim but died while trying to save the girl who was stuck in the mud. All three died.”
Hadalageri gram panchayat members accused the Muddebihal taluk panchayat for the tragedy, citing several appeals to desilt the old pond.
“The two men who drowned knew how to swim but got stuck in the silt.”
Basavana Bagewadi Dy SP Ballappa Nandagavi said that the bodies were fished out with the help of local swimmers and the staff of the fire and emergency department. “The girl was grazing cattle in the field of Chinnappa Tilawar and took them to the pond to drink water when she fell,” he said.
