Morbi : The scorching heatwave gripping Gujarat has turned a source of relief, water bodies, into a death trap. Three children drowned in a pond located in Varsamedi village, Morbi, on Wednesday. This incident is just the latest in a string of drowning tragedies across the state in the last eleven days, claiming the lives of 21 people.
The four children from Varsamedi village entered the pond to escape the heat. However, two boys and a teenager succumbed to drowning. The lone survivor raised the alarm, alerting the villagers who desperately tried to rescue the children. Unfortunately, they could only recover the bodies.
This incident is not an isolated one. On May 12th, seven people from three separate families were swept away by strong waves at Dandi beach. Just two days later, on May 14th, eight migrants from Amreli, visiting the Narmada district’s Poicha, drowned after being caught in the river’s strong currents. Three of the deceased were children. Another incident occurred on May 15th near Nava Sadulka village in Morbi district, where a young man and two minors drowned after slipping into deep water while bathing in the Machhu river. The rising death toll continued on May 21st, when four out of five teenage girls drowned in Bhavnagar city’s Gaushankarsarovar (tubewell pond) while washing clothes and bathing.
These incidents highlight the importance of caution around water bodies, especially during the summer months. It is crucial to supervise children closely whenever they are near water.