Two people drown, two go missing at Pakala beach in Andhra Pradesh

District Collector P. Rajababu and SP V. Harshavardhan Raju inspect the Pakala beach in Singarayakonda mandal of Prakasam district on Saturday. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

A joyous outing by a group of about 70 people turned tragic when two of them drowned and two others went missing at Pakala beach in Prakasam district on Saturday.

“About 70 people from Srirangapuram village in Kanigiri mandal came to the beach in three batches in three private vehicles around 2 pm on Saturday. All of them are masons working in Hyderabad,” Ongole Sub-Divisional Police Officer (SDPO) R. Srinivasa Rao told The Hindu.

They came to their native village for Vinayaka Chavithi celebrations and stayed back to celebrate Kolupula (Poleramma Jathara) two days ago. They were to return to work in a few days, he informed.

They came to Pakala Beach for a short trip. Seven of them fell deep into the water while bathing and were swept away by strong waves. Other members of the group alerted the police.

The Singarayakonda police rushed to the spot and started a rescue operation with the help of expert swimmers. Three people were rescued. One of them is stable while another has been admitted to RIMS Hospital and another to Aster Ramesh Hospital in Ongole.

The two deceased have been identified as Paladugu Teja (20) and Battula Mahesh Babu (22), while the missing are Devala Vishnu (17) and Devala Narayana (32). Until last report, a search was underway using drones and boats.

Prakasam District Collector P. Rajababu and SP V. Harshavardhan Raju inspected the beach. The collector said those rescued were receiving advanced medical treatment.

He assured that the district administration would provide all support to the affected families. The collector urged beachgoers to be careful and follow safety instructions.

Published – 10 Oct 2026 18:58 IST