Four school kids drown while swimming in the Vamsadara canal

Four out of five children who ventured into the Vamsadara canal for a bath, near Subhalaya village in Hiramandalam mandal of Srikakulam drowned in the canal today morning.

Villagers identified them as Kosanti Manasa (11) Tampa Tulasi (12) Tampa Yasoda alias Sravanti (9) and Edurinti Balu (10).
Devudala Neelaveni (12) managed to escape. Manasa and Tulasi were students of Haddubangi residential school near Seethampeta, while the other two kids studied in Subhalaya village. As schools were closed due to participation of school teachers in the Samaikhyandhra agitation for a united Andhra Pradesh, the children stayed in the village. Parents of the children wept inconsolably and all villagers were shocked. Surayya, a villager, said that it is quite common for all children to go the canal for a dip.