A recreational trip turned into a tragedy for a group of seven youngsters from Hyderabad as five of them drowned in the Kondapochamma Sagar reservoir in Siddipet district on Saturday. The group, seeking social media content, ventured into the reservoir to film reels. After spending hours by the shore, they crossed into deeper waters around noon despite not knowing how to swim. Their inability to stay afloat led to the loss of five lives, while two others, Mohd Ibrahim (20) and K Mrigank (17), survived by staying closer to the shore.

The victims were siblings Dhanush (20) and Lohit (17) from Musheerabad, along with Dineshwar (17) from Bansilalpet, Jatin (17) from Khairatabad, and Sahil (19). Dhanush, a photographer, and the others, mostly students, drowned despite desperate attempts by the survivors to rescue them. The remote location and lack of nearby assistance added to the tragedy. Professional divers were eventually deployed by local authorities to recover the bodies.

Political leaders expressed their condolences, with Telangana CM A Revanth Reddy ordering immediate safety measures at the reservoir. Former CM K Chandrasekhar Rao and BRS MLA T Harish Rao emphasized the need for preventive steps and demanded an ex gratia of ₹15 lakh for the families of the deceased. Union Minister G Kishan Reddy also urged for enhanced security arrangements around the reservoir to avoid such incidents in the future.