Team Herald
PERNEM: In a shocking incident, four students of Don Bosco High School, Tuem met watery grave in a laterite quarry in the area.
However, earlier, two of them were rescued.
According to sources, 43 students of the school had gone on a trek to the jungle along with their teacher of which, six of them, who went to wash their hands and legs, reportedly slipped and fell into a laterite quarry at around 4.30 pm.
In the dark conditions, it was an arduous task for Pernem Police along with the fire service personnel as they had to contact the Panjim Costal Guard due to lack of required equipment.
The team managed to rescue two students but late in the night four bodies were retrieved from the quarry.
The bodies that were retrieved are those of 14-year-old Danish Shaikh from Mumbai, 14-year-old Jonas Dias from Cuncolim, 12-year-old Prince Das from Jharkhand and Fredrick Fernandes from Mumbai.
The school management claims that students had gone on a trek with their teacher. The quarry is located a kilometre away from the school.
It is learnt that Don Bosco High School, Tuem is a boarding school.
It is alleged that there are several illegal quarries in other parts of Pernem taluka which attract the youth during the monsoons as they are left open. However, when asked to provide details on the number of illegal quarries in the taluka, the officials feigned ignorance.
This is second such incident in Tuem where school students got drowned in quarry and the fourth in Pernem taluka.
