Gloom descended at Raia on Sunday evening after the village was struck by a massive tragedy when two women from Damon and Ganapoga were washed away at the Nagarmadi waterfall around noon.
As news of the tragedy trickled in in the evening, anxious relatives, friends and neighbours rushed to the residences of the families of Francila Pires Fernandes (21) at Ganapoga and Fiona Rodrigues Pacheco (28), Damon, whose bodies were recovered in the incident. Besides the duo, two other ladies, Marceilna Mexica (Curtorim) and Renuka were believed to have gone missing in the tragedy.
Relatives informed that a group of couples, including married ones, had headed to the Nagarmadi waterfall on Sunday morning for a picnic when the tragedy occurred after a sudden rise in the Nagarmadi water catchment.
Francila, sources said, who is originally from Telaulim, was married to Myson only four months in April last. She along with husband Myson was part of the group that had headed to Nagarmadi waterfall. Information gathered from the Pacheco family revealed that Fiona along with husband Johnson was part of the picnic group that had gone to Karwar.
Curtorim MLA Reginaldo Lourenco, who rushed to Nagarmadi along with his supporters from Raia in two vehicles said all the four females, who have lost their lives and are missing hail from his constituency. "I had just finished my lunch when I received information that a group of picnickers from Raia villages has been struck by a huge tragedy. We immediately rushed to Karwar. The bodies of Fiona and Francila has been recovered, while efforts are on to trace the missing bodies", he said. Reginaldo said first information revealed that the picnickers from Goa were caught in a sudden gush of water in the afternoon, washing away the deceased and those who have gone missing.
He thanked the people of Karwar, including the MLA Sail and his brother, besides ZP and Panchayat members, and members of St Vincent de Paul Society for the help.
Meanwhile, former minister Jose Philip D'Souza said he was closely monitoring the situation with the local MLA Satish Sail in Karwar, following the tragedy involving a group of picnickers from different parts of Goa.
