Six boys drown in lake during Ganesh idol immersion near Hyderabad

Six boys drowned in a lake during Ganesh idol immersion at a village near Hyderabad on Wednesday evening, police said.

The victims were among eight boys staying at a hostel run by a charitable trust at Pedda Kanjarla village. All eight fell into the water during the immersion. While two managed to get out, the remaining six drowned.

Investigators suspect that loose mud in the lake contributed to the tragedy. A police constable who was nearby performed CPR on the boys, but they could not be revived, a police official said.

The official added that the lake was isolated and no adults were present at the spot who could have attempted a rescue.

Telangana Governor Shiv Pratap Shukla, Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy and several other leaders condoled the deaths.

The Governor expressed grief and urged devotees to exercise caution during processions and idol immersions. The Chief Minister directed officials to put in place appropriate precautionary measures during idol immersions and asked them to extend assistance to the families of the victims.