Maharashtra: 8 Die in Drowning Incidents Across Yavatmal, Wardha and Gadchiroli During Dhulivandan Celebrations

Eight people lost their lives in Maharashtra on the festival of Dhulivandan in separate drowning incidents across Yavatmal, Wardha, and Gadchiroli districts. The victims included a 14-year-old boy. Several youths who had gone for a swim after celebrating the festival tragically drowned.

Four Drown in Ulhas River, Badlapur
In Badlapur, four youths drowned in the Ulhas River near Rahtoli village, close to the Poddar Complex. The incident occurred around 3 PM on Friday (March 14) when a group of youths from the complex went to the river for a swim after playing Rang Panchami.

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One of them began to drown, and his friends rushed to save him. However, in their attempt, three others also drowned. The Badlapur fire brigade later recovered their bodies.

Youth Drowns in Pranahita River, Gadchiroli
A 20-year-old youth drowned in the Pranahita River in Sironcha, Gadchiroli, on Friday afternoon (March 14) near the Maharashtra-Telangana border. The deceased, identified as Kampalla Rajkumar from Vemanapalli district, Telangana, had gone to bathe in the river with his friends after playing with colours. While bathing, he ventured into deep water and, being unable to swim, drowned.

14-Year-Old Drowns, Another Injured in Wardha
In Arvi, Wardha, a 14-year-old boy drowned, and another teenager was injured while bathing in a drain after celebrating Holi. The deceased has been identified as Rajveer Santosh Singh Tawar, a resident of Mybai Ward. The injured youth, Sujal Gajanan Chandurkar (17), is currently undergoing treatment at a hospital.

Two Cousins Drown in Yavatmal Dam
In Dongarkharda, Yavatmal, eight people went for a swim in a dam near Khorad. Five of them started drowning, but three were rescued, while two cousins tragically lost their lives. The incident occurred on Friday (March 14) after they went for a bath post-Holi celebrations.

The deceased have been identified as Pankaj Ashokrao Zade (35) and Jayant Pandhari Dhanphule (28), who had come as guests to the house of Arun Bhoir. These incidents have raised concerns over the safety measures and awareness about water-related accidents during festival celebrations.