Mandya Tragedy: Final Video Shows Four Women Smiling Moments Before Cauvery River Claims Five Lives at Muthathi
Mandya/Bengaluru, June 25: Heartbreaking visuals have emerged from the tragic drowning incident at Muthathi in Mandya district, where five people lost their lives in the Cauvery River. The final video, recorded just minutes before the tragedy, has gone viral on social media, capturing four women happily entering the river, completely unaware of the disaster that was about to unfold.
The victims had travelled from Bengaluru to Kabbalu to attend a family function and visit a temple. After offering prayers, the group stopped at Muthathi on their return journey. Since the water level near the riverbank appeared shallow, the women entered the river to wash up and take photographs.
The video shows the women holding hands, smiling and enjoying the water while someone standing on the riverbank recorded the moments. Within a short time, the outing turned into a devastating tragedy.
Attempt to Save One Woman Ends in Five Deaths
According to Ravi, the lone survivor from the family, the incident began when his sister Vijayamma reportedly slipped into deeper water while playing in the river.
His wife, daughter, niece and another family member rushed to rescue her. As they struggled in the strong current, the group’s driver Mahesh also jumped into the river in an attempt to save them.
However, the rescue effort turned tragic as all five drowned in the Cauvery River.
Ravi told reporters that he too entered the river to rescue them but began drowning before local people pulled him to safety.
No Warning of the Danger
The survivor said the family had completed temple rituals and had no idea that the seemingly calm stretch of the river concealed dangerous currents.
What began as a joyful family outing ended in unimaginable grief within moments.
Deputy Commissioner Visits Families
Mandya Deputy Commissioner Dr. Kumar visited the bereaved families and expressed his condolences.
He said the preliminary report indicates that the victims had entered the river to take photographs after performing puja when one person slipped, prompting the others to jump in to save her.
“The emotional instinct to save a loved one resulted in multiple lives being lost. It is an extremely painful incident,” the Deputy Commissioner said.
Repeated Fatal Accidents at Muthathi
The Deputy Commissioner revealed that similar incidents have occurred repeatedly at Muthathi over the past several years.
According to official data, an average of five to six people lose their lives every year at the same location.
Following previous accidents, warning signboards had been installed in coordination with the police department, but authorities said visitors continue to ignore safety advisories and enter the river.
Post-Mortem Completed
The bodies of all five victims were shifted to the mortuary, where post-mortem examinations have been completed.
Scenes of grief unfolded outside the mortuary as family members broke down after losing their loved ones.
The victims had left home expecting to return to Bengaluru after a happy family trip. Instead, the visit ended in one of the worst river tragedies reported from Mandya in recent times.
Police have registered a case and are continuing further investigation into the incident.
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