Visakhapatnam, Sep 23: Bodies of two medical students who drowned in a swollen stream in Andhra Pradesh's Alluri Sitarama Raju district were recovered on Monday while the search was on for a third student, police said. The bodies of two female students were recovered on Monday morning from the Maredumilli stream near Jalatharangini waterfalls and they were identified as of B. Amrutha, 21, of Bobbili in Parvathipuram Manyam district and K. Sowmya, 21, of Bapatla, an official said.
The search was on for missing student C.H. Hardeep, 20, of Markapuram of Prakasam district by a team of the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). According to police, a group of 14 students of MBBS Second Year from ASRAM College in Eluru went for a fun trip to Maredumilli on Sunday. They stopped at Jalatharangini waterfalls on the way to Chintur from Maredumilli, a picturesque destination in the Eastern Ghats.
Five of the students, who entered the stream, were swept away due to heavy rainfall for a brief period in the upper reaches. The incident occurred around 4 p.m. on Sunday. Haripriya and Gaytri Pushpa of Vijayanagaram district were rescued by two tourists from Odisha. Both the students were admitted to Rampachodavaram Area Hospital. Haripirya was later shifted to Rajamahendravaram after her condition turned critical.
Though the search operation was immediately launched for missing students, it had to be called off after sunset. The rescue teams resumed the search early Monday and found the bodies of two medicos. The bodies were shifted to Rampachodavaram Area Hospital for autopsy.
MLA Sirisha Devi visited the hospital and consoled the families of the deceased. The MLA also spoke to the parents of missing student Hardeep and assured all help from the government. Following the incident, the authorities have cautioned tourists visiting Maredumilli against entering the stream due to continued heavy flow from the upper reaches.
