B.Tech student drowns in Sariya waterfalls
A 20-year-old B.Tech student named T. Phani Kumar drowned after slipping into Sariya Waterfalls in the Alluri Sitharama Raju district. Local police recovered his body and have initiated a post-mortem examination.
Why it matters
This incident highlights the ongoing safety risks associated with recreational tourism at unregulated natural water bodies in India.
A 20-year-old B.Tech student allegedly drowned after slipping into the water at Sariya Waterfalls under the Ananthagiri police station limits in Alluri Sitharama Raju district on Saturday (September 5, 2026).
The deceased was identified as T. Phani Kumar, a resident of Kurmannapalem, a third-year B.Tech student of a private engineering college in Gajuwaka, Visakhapatnam.
According to the police, Phani Kumar visited the waterfall with a group of friends for a recreational trip. The incident occurred when the group was close to the waterfall, and he allegedly slipped and fell into the water. His friends alerted the authorities, after which personnel from the police station arrived at the scene and launched a search operation.
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