Thane: Two college students, who had gone for a picnic with 9 others, drowned in the Khadavali River in Titwala. The incident took place on Thursday afternoon but the rescue teams failed to trace them till night.
Rescue operations were suspended as night fell and will resume on Friday morning. The victims have been identified as Krishna Dharne (19) and Akshay Gokul (19).
Police officials said that Krishna is a resident of Shankarwadi in Jogeshwari, while Akshay is from Wadala. The group of children are under-graduates and study in a Mumbai-based college.
Police said that around 12.30 pm, Krishna who knew swimming, waded deeper into the river but the sudden high tide drowned him. Akshay rushed to save him but lost his balance and drowned.
Khadavali River is a popular picnic spot in Titwala due to its clean waters. But there were several drowning incidents in the past few years.
Police said that they have often issued warnings to the public not to venture into the deep waters due to the shifting tide.
