4 drown in sea in southern India

NEW DELHI, Jan. 16 (Xinhua) -- At least four devotees drowned while taking a holy dip in a sea in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu Tuesday, police said.

The incident took place when a number of devotees were taking holy dip in the Bay of Bengal at Vedaranyam area in Tamil Nadu's Nagapattinam district on the occasion of an auspicious day, before paying a visit to a Hindu temple situated on its banks.

"A group of devotees were suddenly caught in high tides in the sea. The rescue teams saved a total of 10 people and all of them were rushed to Vedaranyam government hospital. Four people were declared brought dead," local police chief Deshmukh Shekar Sanjay told the media.

The bodies of the victims will be handed over to their families for performing the final rites, he said. "Some of those admitted to the hospital have been shifted to another hospital for better treatment," the police official added.

Hundreds of people take holy dip in the Bay of Bengal in Vedaranyam and across the state on this day every year on the occasion of the auspicious day. Enditem