3 men drown in Sambhajinagar dam on Labour Day holiday

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Three men drowned in the Tembhapuri medium project dam on Friday afternoon when a Labour Day outing by nine friends from Waluj MIDC turned tragic, the police said.The deceased men have been identified as Shailesh Jogdand of Parbhani, and Shailesh Helaskar and Avishkar Lokhande, both residents of Nanded. All three, aged between 25 and 30, were employed in industrial units in the Waluj MIDC area.According to the police, the group, all coworkers, had gone to the dam to spend the Maharashtra Day and Labour Day public holiday.Waluj inspector Shivcharan Pandhare, citing preliminary probe, said, "The group reached the spot around 1.30pm and, with temperatures soaring, three of them entered the water for a swim. The trio misjudged the depth and slipped into deep pits beneath the water surface, where accumulated silt trapped them. Unable to free themselves, they drowned before help could reach them."Their six companions raised an alarm, following which the Waluj police and fire brigade teams rushed to the site and launched a search and rescue operation. The bodies were later recovered from the dam.Villagers alleged that illegal excavation in the dam area has led to the formation of deep craters that have since filled with silt, posing a serious hazard. "The youths got stuck in one such silt-filled pit," a resident said.The incident comes close on the heels of another drowning at the same location. On April 26, a 19-year-old youth, Prince Shrisundar, lost his life in similar circumstances. Despite repeated incidents, residents claimed that authorities have failed to put up warning signs or implement safety measures.The police said an accidental death case has been registered, and further inquiry is underway.