india

Updated: Sep 03, 2019 17:10 IST

A 40-year-old tourist from Bengal’s Hooghly district drowned in the state’s popular beach town of Digha on Tuesday, making it the fourth such incident in as many weeks.

Dipu Senapati, a resident of Rajahati village of Khanakul in Hooghly district was declared dead on arrival at the Digha Hospital. On Tuesday, Mita Senapati, Dipu Senapati’s wife, went into the water with her phone during high tide. Dipu tried to save his wife but could not save himself. Local swimmers (nulias) took both to the hospital, where Mita was admitted.

“These accidents are taking place since some tourists are not following instructions when they are going out to the sea. While some are venturing in during high tide, some are going to a distance they should not,” said Arvind Anand, Additional Superintendent of Police (rural) in East Midnapore district.

“We have deployed civic volunteers, members of the natural disaster management team and nulias (locals adept at swimming in the sea) for the safety of tourists. But the tourists, too, need to follow instructions,” added Anand.

Office bearers of Digha Shankarpur Hoteliers Association echoed the police.

“Policemen regularly alert tourists over the public address system warning them not to go into the water in an inebriated state and, in any case, not to venture deeper than waist-level. Tourists are asked not to enter the water during high tide. But some tourists are inviting disasters,” said Bipradas Chakraborty, joint secretary of the hoteliers association.

Police officers said some tourists are also going into the water to take selfies with big waves.

On August 25, Sheikh Manik, a tourist from East Burdwan district of Bengal, drowned when he went into the water in high tide. He went with his wife, who could be saved.

Two other fatal accidents took place on August 16 and 11.

About 180 km to the south of Kolkata, Digha is the most favourite beach destination in Bengal.