Jallipeta woman, son washed away while taking a selfie

Tirupati: Craze for selfies took a tragic turn when a mother and son got washed away in a check dam near Jallipeta in Palamaner constituency of Chittoor district on Friday. The duo was reportedly trying to capture a self-portrait against the backdrop of waters gushing in the check dam.

Police have identified the deceased as Parveen, 35, and her son Hameed, 8, of Gudduru colony in Palamaner constituency. Parveen, along with her husband Moulali and son, had gone to the Jallipeta check dam in the morning to see water overflowing due to incessant rains since the past two days.

Soon after reaching the check dam, the family tried to take selfies while standing on the sloped edge of the check dam. Hameed suddenly lost balance, fell into the gushing waters and got swept away. The mother immediately jumped in to save her son. However, both of them got washed away. The husband, with help of locals, tried to save them, but their attempts did not succeed.

Local police roped in swimmers to trace the bodies of the mother and son, which could not be traced till the night.