Four Siblings Drown in Ratnagiri Creek, Fifth Rescued

Ratnagiri, Oct 12 : Four siblings drowned after five children from the same family accidentally slipped into a deep creek at Nanar Ingalewadi in Rajapur tehsil of Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district on Sunday. The fifth child was rescued by local villagers and coastal police.

According to Nanar Ingalewadi police, the five siblings had accompanied their mother, Heena Bhatkar, to the creek to collect oysters and clams when the incident occurred. Unable to gauge the depth of the water, the children suddenly slipped into a deep underwater depression and began drowning.

The deceased have been identified as Mohammad Juneed Bhatkar, Juheria Bhatkar, Bushra Bhatkar and Mahira Bhatkar.

Hearing cries for help, local villagers and coastal police rushed to the spot and managed to rescue one of the girls. Search and rescue teams recovered three bodies, while operations continued on Monday to trace the remaining 15-year-old girl, Mahira Bhatkar, according to the report.