Overview
- Local police said four young men drowned after entering the river below Dudhsagar during a picnic and that one member of the five-person group survived; the incident took place on Saturday.
- The deceased were identified as Hiranna Mader, Ramanna Mader, Laxman Mader and Vijay Sajili, and police say three of the victims belonged to the same family.
- Bystanders and nearby residents pulled the group from the water but the four were already dead when recovered, and lifeguards from a private agency assisted police in the search and retrieval.
- Investigators have begun inquest proceedings, taken statements from the surviving youth and witnesses, and sent the bodies for post-mortem to establish cause of death.
- Officials warned that heavy monsoon flows make currents unpredictable, noted that official tours are suspended and many river stretches remain unguarded, and said the deaths underscore ongoing safety risks at popular waterfall sites.