What started off as a college picnic turned into a tragic nightmare when 14 students of Abeda Inamdar College of Pune lost their lives after being unable to fight ocean currents at Murud beach. While it is known that the students drowned, many have speculated on why they couldn’t escape the tide. The rumours range from taking selfies to being under the influence of alcohol.
To put an end to the speculation, the survivors have started a Facebook page called Murud Tragedy where they document the entire incident.
Watch: She Was My Biggest Strength: Mother of Girl Who Drowned in Murud
These Are ‘False’ Reports, Say The Survivors
- The students were drunk.
- They ventured too far into the sea.
- The students were taking selfies.
- Teachers were not present during the incident.
- The college forced the students to come to the picnic and demanded a fine from those who were not coming.
The administrators of the page then went on to detail the account of 1 February 2016.
The surviving students claimed that the locals were reluctant to help. None of the boat owners but one tried to save the drowning students, they said. A boy named Iftekar reportedly saved a drowning classmate but couldn’t extricate himself from trouble.
A boy named Iftekar saved a girl but he himself got drowned. He is the real hero of our class.Facebook Post by Murud Tragedy
They said the locals eventually came to help, but by then it was too late. Once their deceased classmates were retrieved, some locals allegedly refused to help pump the water from the female classmates’ bodies.
The students claimed that there were no warning signs, no mention of the high tides, no demarkation of the dangerous area, nor any life guards stationed at the beach.
The parents of some of the college students who drowned have alleged negligence on the part of college authorities in the aftermath of the incident.
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