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Six drown in sea at Mandvi beach, Mangrol

Rajkot: At least six persons drowned and nearly 18 rescued in separate incidents reported from Junagadh and Kutch districts on Saturday.

The incidents were reported from Mandvi beach in Kutch and two villages of Mangrol taluka in Junagadh district.

On Mandvi beach, 20 people were swept away by a giant wave while they were enjoying the sea by standing in the waist deep water.



"As there were cries of help by the victims and those on the beach, the drivers of two speed boats swung into action and drove their boats towards the victims. While they managed to rescue 18 people, two persons, identified as Himmat Maheshweri (18) and Jitesh Koli (20), drowned. While the body of Maheshweri was fished out, the body of Koli is still missing in the sea," said Yashdan Gadhvi, assistant-sub-inspector with Mandvi police station.

The victims were from different families who had come from Mandvi, Anjar, Bhuj and Mundra to enjoy the holiday of Janmashtami on Mandvi beach. Though the sea was rough, they threw caution to the wind and went into the water, said police.

In Sheel village of Mangrol taluka in Junagadh, two women drowned in the sea at Sangavada beach. Police said the victims, identified as Payal Daki (20) and Pratiksha Koli (18), were standing in the leg-deep water of the sea when a giant wave swept them away and pulled them into the deep waters.

The sea between Chorwad of Devbhoomi-Dwarka district and Madhavpur Ghed of Porbandar district is extremely choppy and notorious for drowning incidents. “Even if one steps into it with an ankle deep water, the second or third wave comes at the height of chest and sweeps the person away into the sea," said an official from Mangrol marine police station.

In Gathila village of Vanthali taluka in Junagadh district , a minor boy and a man drowned in Ojat river on Saturday evening. "Meet Joshi (14) slipped into the river and started drowning. In order to rescue him, Pradeep Joshi (40) jumped after him and started drowning, too. We fished out the bodies of both the victims on Saturday evening," said an official from Vanthli police station.

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