12-yr-old sacrifices life to save drowning younger sister

The deceased has been identified as Savara Harika, a resident of the same village and a Class VI student of Bandhapalli Ashram School

Srikakulam: A Brave 12-year-old girl drowned while trying to save her younger sister who had fallen into a stream at Kasiraju Kasipuram village in Nandigam mandal of Srikakulam district on Sunday. The younger girl survived.

The deceased has been identified as Savara Harika, a resident of the same village and a Class VI student of Bandhapalli Ashram School.Nandigam police sub-inspector Muhammad Amir Ali said Savara Tulasamma, along with both her daughters, had gone to the stream in the village to wash clothes.

Jahnavi (6) slipped and fell into the six-feet deep stream while playing. On noticing her sister struggling for help, Harika immediately jumped into the water and rescued Jahnavi.The strong current in the stream, however, washed her away. Her mother Tulasamma was busy washing clothes when the incident occurred.

Seeing their daughter being swept away, her parents Tulasamma and Krishna Rao, jumped into the stream and brought her ashore. However, the child’s life could not be saved. Police rushed to the scene on being informed by local residents and initiated a probe.

Sub-inspector Amir Ali said, “We launched an investigation and sent the body to Tekkali Area Hospital for post-mortem. After the medico-legal procedures, the body was handed over to her parents. A case has been registered under Section 174 (accidental death) of the Criminal Procedure Code.”