Gujarat duo dies in Africa lake accident

Vadodara/ Anand: Two friends, who had gone to spend holidays with their families and relatives in southeast African country Malawi, died after their boat capsized in Lake Malawi at Kande beach lodge in Nkhata bay.

The deceased – Dhairya Patel (20) from Kapadwanj and Anshu Patel (18) from Anand – had left Gujarat nearly 25 days back for Mzuzu city in northern Malawi. The duo had gone to Lake Malawi to spend holidays during the weekend with their families and friends.

Efforts by the local authorities to rescue them yielded no results and they were later declared dead.

Sources close to the family Anshu’s parents Kamlesh and Sangeeta have their roots in Dabhou village of Anand district and settled in Mzuzu for last more than a decade while he and his sister were studying in a Vadodara-based private school.

After finishing his class 12 studies, Anshu, who was also born in Mzuzu, was staying at their house in Anand for the past six months.

He had left for Mzuzu recently to spend time with parents before deciding over the future course of his studies.

Like Anshu, Dhairya too had left for Mzuzu on the same day. Dhairya’s businessman uncle Bhaumik Patel, who is settled in Mzuzu, lives in neighbourhood of Anshu’s parents due to which both the youngsters knew each other.

Dhairya, a resident of Sundarvan society on Kapadwanj-Dakor Road, was the only son of Pravin Patel and Ansuya Patel, who works as a teacher with the Maneklal Desai Kishor Mandir in Kapadwanj.

After finishing his class 12 studies, Dhairya had started working at an oil mill managed by his maternal uncle. “As soon as Dhairya’s family came to know about the incident, they left for Mzuzu where the final rites of the deceased have been conducted,” said a family friend.

Anshu’s parents are also expected to reach Anand next week to perform post-death rituals.