Three drown at Mumbai’s Aksa Beach

MUMBAI - Two teenagers and a 10-year-old drowned while five others were rescued at the Aksa Beach in northwest Mumbai Wednesday, police said, adding that they had ignored warnings by the lifeguards.

A group of nine youngsters from Jogeshwari were on a picnic at the picturesque beach in Malad and eight of them went for a swim around 2 p.m.

However, they were carried away by the strong counter-currents for which Aksa Beach has earned the killer tag.

“These youngsters had come for a swim in the sea, but the lifeguards stopped them from going into the high tide waters. They did not listen to the lifeguards and went in from a different location,” Deputy Commissioner of Police Sanjay Banerjee told IANS.

Ashish Yadav, the youth who did not join the group in the water, said: “I had also told them not to venture in as Aksa Beach has strong counter-currents. But they booed me and told me I’m a coward and went in.”

Later, when the 20-year-old saw two of his friends screaming for help and drowning, Ashish rushed in and grabbed hold of one, while the other was swept away by the strong current.

Lifeguards of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation posted there rescued the others and they were admitted to Bhagwati Hospital in Borivli.

A medical officer said the dead include Satish Bansal (18), Akash Bansal (10) and Mayur Patel (14).

Those injured are Suraj Yadav (12), Sunny Bansal (13), Vishal Bansal (12), Guddu Yadav (20) and Jay Patel (13).

Malti Bansal, who lost her two sons Satish and Akash, cried inconsolably at the hospital and said: “Please leave me alone, I have lost two children.”