Visakhapatnam: Drowning has claimed an alarming 10,076 lives in Andhra Pradesh between 2017 and 2022, and most of these were youths, notes an official document.
There were more than 9,500 such incidents in AP during this period, involving one or more deaths. The need for increased awareness, better safety measures in and around water bodies, and imparting of swimming lessons among children and youngsters are advised to check such incidents in the future.
Data released by the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) said most of these casualties were reported in 2020. Some 1,799 persons were killed in 1,699 incidents. In 2022, 1,777 persons died due to drowning.
“In 2018, 1,666 lives were lost in 1,596 incidents. In 2021, drowning claimed 1,646 lives in 1,539 incidents. In 2017, 1,634 lives were lost in 1,507 incidents, and 1,554 lives in 1491 incidents in 2019. “On average, AP accounted for at least 1,500 to 1,600 drowning deaths every year and most of the victims were youngsters,” the data showed.
A police official said unfamiliarity with water bodies (rivers, reservoirs, beaches, etc) and venturing into them without knowing the basics of swimming were among the primary reasons for these casualties. Despite the presence of warning signs near water bodies, youngsters continue to venture into these.
The NCRB report classified drowning deaths into three categories -- boat capsize, accidentally falling into water bodies, and swimming.
There were 52 boat capsize incidents that together claimed 60 lives in AP in the past five years. Notably, 51 people, including some children, drowned when a tourist boat capsized in River Godavari near Kachuluru in East Godavari district in Sept 2019.
