The body of the missing student from Monday’s drowning tragedy at a beach in Murud was fished out of the waters on Tuesday, an official said.
The Indian Navy and Indian Coast Guard personnel had resumed their air and sea search for the missing student Saif Madki at daybreak and after over three hours, located his body floating on the waters at Murud Beach.
Indian Navy’s Chetak helicopter and an interceptor speedboat were used once the search resumed. A massive tragedy struck at Murud on Monday, killing 13 other students, including 10 girls, of Pune’s MCES Abeda Inamdar College.
The students were among 130 besides a dozen teachers and support staffers who had come for the college-sponsored annual picnic which soon turned into a tragedy.
While 13 bodies were recovered by late Monday, Madki’s body was found nearly 18 hours later.
Maharashtra Governor CV Rao and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have expressed grief and deep shock over the tragedy and the state government announced an ex gratia of Rs 200,000 to the families of each victim.
The victims are: Rafiya Ansari and her sister Shafiya Ansari, Sumaiya Ansari, Sheefa Kazi, Supriya Pan, Sana Shaikh, Swapnali Salgar, Sajeed Choudhary, Iftekar Shaikh, Samreen Shaikh, Mohammed Ansari, Farin Sayyed and Rajlaxmi Pandugayala.
Six students other students escaped the treacherous waters.
I have got my daughter back. She is traumatised by the tragedy she has witnessed. We will talk to her about this later.Vinayak Kiloliya, father of a survivor
Although the exact cause of the mass drowning is unclear, local fisherfolk and villagers claimed that they had warned the students against venturing too far out in the sea waters. Their warning went unheeded.
(With agency inputs.)
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