BENGALURU: Four girl students from Morarji Desai Residential School in Kolar who were on an excursion drowned in the sea in Murudeshwar in Bhatkal taluk of Uttara Kannada district. The dead were Shravanthi Gopalappa, Deeksha J, Lavanya and Lipika, all students of class IX. Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced financial assistance of Rs 5 lakh each to the families of the four.

A group of 46 students along with their teachers reached Murudeshwar at 5.30 pm on Tuesday. While playing in the beach, seven girls were caught by huge waves on Tuesday evening. The bodies of one of them were found that evening and the bodies of the other three on Wednesday morning. The other three were brought safely to the shore by lifeguards, police and fishermen and then were shifted to the hospital.

Uttara Kannada SP M Narayana said six teachers who were with the students were arrested and released on bail. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has directed that teachers should provide safety awareness to students before organizing field trips to such dangerous places.