At least five persons drowned in a lake in Nagpur on Sunday evening while trying to save one another, police said.
The incident occurred when a group of eight youngsters went for a picnic near Zilpi lake, Hingna.
According to police officials, 8 friends were strolling on the banks of the lake when some of them decided to venture into the water. After seeing that a group member was struggling to stay afloat, others tried to save him, but five of them drowned.
After police were alerted about the incident, a search operation was launched with the help of local divers, he added.
The bodies of Rishikesh Parade (21), Vaibhav Vaidya (20), Rahul Meshram (21), Nitin Kumbhare (21), and Shantanu Armarkar (22), were fished out of the water at around 10 pm, he said.
A case of accidental death has been registered.