Headed for funeral, wedding, Gulf-based families perish

May 22, 2010

Dubai, May 22 : A Saudi businessman lost 16 family members in Saturday's plane crash in Mangalore who were going to attend his grandmother's funeral. Another family from Dubai was on its way to a wedding when it perished in the tragedy.

Saudi Arabia-based businessman Sameer Sheikh lost 16 relatives, including his wife and two children, in the Air India Express tragedy that claimed 158 lives. All 16 were travelling to Mangalore to attend the last rites of Sheikh's grandmother who had died Friday.

Sheikh was in Mumbai and waiting to catch a flight to Mangalore at the time of the incident.

"I flew into Mumbai from Saudi Arabia yesterday and was scheduled to catch a Jet Airways flight to Mangalore this morning as I could not get a connecting flight from there," he said.

A Gulf News staff member, her husband and their daughter were also among those killed in the disaster. They were to attend a wedding.

Manirekha Poonja, who worked in the Dubai-based daily's finance department, was flying with her husband and their 17-year-old daughter for her cousin's marriage, the paper reported.

"When we heard the crash news, we got in touch with our relative in Mangalore. Her name is not among the survivors," a family member said. Poonja's daughter Harshini was a student of media and communications.

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Tragedy in pool: iPhone and CCTV capture final moments as 3 young women drown in Mangaluru resort

News Network

November 17,2024

Mangaluru: A tragic incident unfolded on Sunday, November 17, at Vazco Resort (VAZCO), situated at Battappadi Cross Road in Someshwara on the outskirts of the city, when three young women drowned in the resort’s swimming pool.

Disturbingly, an iPhone recording and CCTV footage captured their final moments, providing insights into the heartbreaking accident.

According to City Police Commissioner Anupam Agrawal, the tragedy occurred at approximately 10:05 AM. The victims were identified as:

Keerthana N (21) from Devaraj Mohalla, Hebbal Second Stage, Vijayanagar Post.
Nishitha M.D (21) from 4th Cross, Kuribarahalli, Mysuru.
Parvathi S (20) from Ramanuja Road, K.R. Mohalla, Mysuru.

Sequence of Events

The three women had checked into Room No. 2 of the resort on the morning of November 16 and stayed overnight. On Sunday morning, around 10 AM, they entered the swimming pool to play. Reports suggest that they placed their clothes poolside and set an iPhone to record the activity.

Initial findings indicate one woman slipped underwater and began to struggle. When the second attempted a rescue, she too drowned, followed by the third woman. Within minutes, the tragedy claimed all three lives. CCTV footage from the resort corroborates the sequence, showing the young women struggling before succumbing to the water.

Investigation Underway

The resort staff discovered the lifeless bodies and immediately raised the alarm. Ullal Police Inspector H N Balakrishna and his team are conducting an investigation. Preliminary reports suggest the women were non-swimmers, and the lack of safety measures contributed to the tragedy.

The resort is owned by Manohar, as per police records. While the formal case is yet to be registered, the incident has raised serious questions about safety protocols at resorts offering pool facilities.

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