Two among four drowned at beach in Nellore dies, bodies retrieved

A joyous Kanuma festival turned to tragedy on Friday evening at Isukapalli beach in Allur mandal, Nellore district, when four students, including a brother and sister from the same family, were swept away by powerful waves.

Eega Ammulu, 14, and Eega Balakrishna, 15, siblings from Girijana Colony in Buchireddypalem, were students at the Child Ashram in Allur. They had been visiting relatives in Yerrapagunta for the Sankranthi holidays and joined friends Abhishek, Sudheer, Chinnabayya, and Venkatesh for a day at the beach.

While enjoying the water along the shore, they were suddenly engulfed by large waves. Tragically, Ammulu, Balakrishna, Abhishek, and Sudheer were swept out to sea, while Chinnabayya and Venkatesh narrowly escaped. In a state of panic, the two remaining students alerted local fishermen and residents, who swiftly initiated a search and rescue operation.

The bodies of Ammulu and Balakrishna were retrieved, leaving the community in mourning as they lay lifeless on what was meant to be a festive day. Search efforts for the two missing students, K. Abhishek, 16, and G. Sudheer, 15, are ongoing, supported by marine police and expert swimmers, though the operation faced challenges as darkness fell.

The tragic loss of these young lives has cast a shadow over their villages, marking a heart-wrenching end to the celebrations.