Hyderabad: Gampala Ashwariya, 19, whose body was the third one to be identified, spoke to her parents two days ago. Her bereaved parents said that Ashwariya was reluctant to go for the college trip and feared losing semester marks. G.V.R. Durga Das, her father, was in Sabarimala when he received the news that his daughter’s post-mortem had been completed. Her father is presently in Chandigarh on his way to Mandi. Ashwariya was one of the top scorers of the class and did not want to miss her rank by not attending the trip.
Venkatesh, her uncle, said, “Ashwariya’s parents initially refused to send their only daughter. However, thinking it would add to her marks, they later agreed. She spoke to them on Saturday.”
Later at night, her father heard about the mishap . Ashwariya’s friend said that all those who were travelling in the first bus got down to relax and there were no faculty members. The students had inquired with locals if it was safe to halt there and then proceed.
“Friends claim they did not notice the warning boards and did not heard hear the warning alarm as the gates were more than 1.5 km away. Since most of them were busy clicking pictures, it is believed that the students had their backs to the water which didn’t give them a chance to escape. If only a few gates would have been opened instead of all, most of them would have survived,” he added. Her family is furious with the college authorities for their lack of concern and support.
Ashwariya, was the second girl to be identified after Akula Vijetha. She wanted to study and work abroad. She is survived by her parents and a younger brother.
