BEED(Maharashtra):A 32-year-old woman and her two minor daughters drowned when their raft overturned in a swollen stream near the Khalwat-Nimgaon village in the district, police officials said here on Friday.
The incident occurred around 6 p.m. on Thursday when a group of farm labourers was returning home from the fields after completing the day's work.
"En route they have to cross a small river flowing out of a nearby dam in a raft to reach their village Khalwat-Nimgaon on the opposite side. Owing to the stormy weather conditions yesterday, the raft suddenly overturned, leading to the tragedy, " Beed Police Control official B. S. More told IANS.
Of the five persons on the ill-fated raft, Sushma Phadtare, 32, her 8-year-old daughter Aiyarn, and another girl Pooja Kale, 10, drowned in the churning river water.
Three others on the raft, including 60-year old Ankita Naikwade, and 10-year-old Bharat Phadtare, were lucky and managed to swim to the safety of the shores.
"The bodies of the three victims have not been recovered yet and a search operation is still on to retrieve them, " More added.
According to the eyewitnesses, the local seasonal river which flows out of a dam, is reportedly quite shallow and narrow, barely a few feet deep and 25-30 metres wide in most places.