In a heart-wrenching tragedy, five youths from Hyderabad drowned in the Godavari River at the Basar temple ghat in Telangana&rsquo;s Nirmal district on Sunday during a ritual bath.
The deceased, all under the age of 20 and belonging to the same family from Chintal in Hyderabad, were part of an 18-member group visiting Basar for darshan at the Saraswati temple. Originally hailing from Rajasthan, the family went to the river for a holy dip before entering the temple.
According to eyewitnesses, the youths ventured too deep into the river, unaware of its depth. Despite efforts by locals to rescue them, they could not be saved. Police, along with expert swimmers, later retrieved the bodies.
The victims have been identified as Rakesh, Vinod, Madan, Rutik, and Bharat. Their bodies have been shifted to the government hospital in Bhainsa. Authorities believe increased water flow from upstream rains may have worsened the situation.
Transport Minister Ponnam Prabhakar expressed grief over the incident and urged people to remain cautious near rivers and water bodies. He instructed officials to install warning boards and highlighted similar past tragedies, including recent drownings at Medigadda Barrage and Kondapochamma reservoir.
Locals have renewed demands for stricter safety protocols at the Godavari ghat to prevent further mishaps.
[Except for the headline, this article has not been edited by the Benefit News editorial team and is published directly from the IANS news feed.]
&nbsp;

Five Hyderabad Youth Drown in Godavari at Basar Ghat

Tragedy strikes Telangana temple town as five teens from the same family drown during ritual bath

Five Hyderabad Youth Drown in Godavari at Basar Ghat

Tragedy strikes Telangana temple town as five teens from the same family drown during ritual bath

June 15, 2025 | 21:32 IST