11 dead in two drowning incidents on Gujarat beaches

Seven persons of a family including three women, all aged between 25 to 30 years, drowned in the sea off Dandi beach in the Navsari district today, said police. People flocked to beaches today on the occasion of Janmashtami. Inspector Ankit Somaiya of Jalalpor police station said the deceased were identified as Vimla Parajapati, Shobha Prajapati, Manjula Prajapati, Ashok Prajapati, Sura Prajapati, Vikram Prajapati and Bhura Prajapti, all from Santalpur village in the district.

They were visiting Dandi beach for a picnic. Somaiya said that policemen on the beach warned them not to go near the sea because of rough weather and hidden pits under the sand, but they still went into the water and were swept away by waves. Locals tried to rescue them, but in vain. The bodies were later fished out.

In a similar mishap, four of a family drowned in the sea at Madhavpur beach in the Porbandar district this afternoon. The deceased, residents of Junagadh city, were identified as Manjula Suresh Paghgar (48), her daughter Surabhi (24), son Minal (13) and a relative Urvashi Patel (40). "Milan first entered the water and started drowning. To save him, others too went in, but three of them drowned," said police sub-inspector V N Ahir. PTI