Mumbai: ‘My son said he was going to get a vada pav with his friends’

A poster put up by locals in memory of Harsh Kinjale and Yash Kagada

Two boys drowned off Mahim beach on the day of Holi, while three others were rescued by fishermen and other locals. The group of teens had told their parents that they were going out to have vada pav, but went to the beach instead without the knowledge of their families. "We identified the deceased as Harsh Kinjale, 15, and Yash Kagada, 19, while Om Laut, 16, Kunal Bachade, 19, and Raushan Kanvar, 17, were rescued," said Senior PI Sudhakar Shirsath of Mahim police station. According to the police, the group had played Holi till afternoon after which three of the boys decided to take a dip in the sea. Hearing their cries for help, the two others also jumped in.

According to the police, Kinjale, Laut and Kagadi ventured into the sea, but started shouting for help as soon as they entered. Kanvar and Bachade jumped in to save them, along with some fishermen and other locals. The fishermen managed to pull out Kinjale and Laut, while Kanvar and Bachade also had to be rescued. Laut and Kinjale were then taken to Hinduja hospital where the doctors declared Kinjale dead. Kagadi's body was recovered on Tuesday morning.

The boys told their families they were going out to eat vada pav but went to Mahim beach instead. File Pic/Atul Kamble

"The surviving boys were taken to hospital as water had entered their stomachs and lungs. They are now fine," said Senior PI Sudhakar Shirsath of Mahim police station. Kagadi's father told mid-day, "Yash was pursuing science and wanted to become a civil engineer. I am in shock. He had gone out saying he wanted to eat some food but then decided to take a swim in the sea after celebrating Holi."

Kinjale's brother Ganesh said, "Harsh told us he was going out to eat vada pav and never returned. People living nearby informed us that he had been admitted to Hinduja hospital and we rushed there only to find out about his death. He was a student of Kirti College and was pursuing a degree in science. We are at a loss for words."

Meanwhile, several people gathered near Navjeevan Kamgar Chawl to mourn the death of the two young boys. "Today, Navjeevan Kamgar Chawl is in a state of shock as we lost two youngsters in the most tragic way," said Kinjale's neighbour, refusing to be identified.

According to the neighbour, the boys were childhood friends. "They would hang around together. They had played Holi near their residence and decided to go out to get some food. They had told their parents that they would eat and come back. The parents are in shock," the neighbour added. According to personnel from the Shivaji Park Fire Brigade Station, the rescue operation was called off on Monday evening owing to low visibility.

"Kinjale and Kagadi were college students, while Laut and Kanvar are in SSC and Bachade is in HSC," said a police officer. The Mahim police have registered an Accidental Death Report (ADR) in this matter.

Holi ends in hospital

At least 162 people visted hospitals in the city in Holi related incidents. At Nair hospital there were two people who complained of petrol exposure. Akshad Chauhan, 20, was playing Holi when someone poured petrol in his ear, according to a doctor at Nair Hospital. Another 17-year-old, Jyotsna Yadav, ended up swallowing petrol, doctors said. "In both cases, they got discharged against medical advice," said Nair hospital's Dr Manmohan Bhagwat. Another one at Nair was a medico-legal case where a man named Vikas Kanojia was allegedly assaulted and suffered a head injury while playing Holi.

One patient at Nair who was admitted suffered burns due to a chemical reaction, there was another such patient who was treated on an OPD basis. There have been several assault cases during festivities across the city. For instance, there were 30 such cases at Cooper hospital. At Sion hospital, 32 patients visited casualty and one was admitted for minor injuries. t Kem Hospital, three such cases required admission. "Most cases we see are usually accidental injuries," said Dr Sangeeta Rawat, Dean KEM hospital.

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No of boys who ventured into sea