Holi celebrations turn tragic as 4 drown in Krishna district

Vijayawada: Holi celebrations turned tragic in combined Krishna district as separate drowning incidents claimed the lives of 4 students on Tuesday. At Chikkavaram village under Gannavaram mandal, 3 students accidentally slipped into a pond and drowned. The deceased, identified as Naveen Kumar (11), Sai (16), and Venkata Joseph (16), went to the pond to wash their hands after playing Holi when they lost their balance and slipped into the deep end of the pond. While the bodies of Naveen and Joseph were recovered, search operations are on to trace Sai. The incident cast a shadow over festive celebrations in the village.In a separate incident at Kondur village in Nandigama mandal, 14-year-old Bellamkonda Diwakar, a Class IX student, drowned while swimming in a local stream. As it was a holiday due to Holi, Diwakar went swimming with three of his friends. During the outing, he reportedly ventured into deeper waters and failed to resurface.The incidents left their families and villagers in shock, with celebrations turning into mourning within hours. Police have registered cases and initiated inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the tragedies.