Mumbai: 3 girls fall into sea while ‘clicking selfie’, man drowns in rescue bid

Two girls rescued; police boats, trawlers, Coast Guard helicopter search for victims.

A rescuer is lowered from a helicopter to search for the victims. (Pradip Das)

Ramesh Walunj was praying at a temple overlooking the sea on Saturday morning when he heard screams for help from the direction of the Bandra Fort below. Losing no time but not forgetting his just-packed tiffin box, the 40-year-old rushed down the steps and raced on the slippery rocks on to the edge of a small cliff where he was told that three girls had fallen into the water while taking a selfie on their phones.

The girls are residents of Baiganwadi in Govandi and had studied together until Class 12. Tarannum Ansari (18) had since joined SNDT College in Ghatkopar, while Anjum Khan (19) and Masturi Khan (19) studied at Mehta College in Chembur and Rajiv Gandhi College in Navi Mumbai respectively.

“They planned to go to Bandra Fort on Saturday morning. They walked to the edge of the rocks and were taking pictures when a large wave hit them from behind. The girls lost balance and fell,” said Ramachandran Dhawale, senior inspector, Bandra police station. He added that while Tarannum and Anjum fell into the wate