Belagavi (Karnataka), Jun 28 (IANS): Four brothers who went to wash clothes in the Krishna river on Monday were washed away in Athani taluk of Belagavi district here.

The police has identified those washed away as Sadashiv Gopal Banasode (24), Parasu Gopal Bansode (36), Dareppa Gopal Bansode (22) and Shankar Gopal Bansode (20), all residents of Halyal village.

Halyal village in Athani Taluk is 580 kms from state capital Bengaluru. Two rivers, Krishna and Agrani, flow through this taluk. During monsoons, both of these rivers swell to the brim and currents in these rivers are very heavy.

The police added that Sadashiv was first one to slip into the river and the other three brothers jumped to rescue him one by one and to rescue each other but the heavy current in Krishna river carried them away within a few seconds.

Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister Laxman Savadi said in a statement that the state government had rushed a specialised divers team to fish out the bodies. "Besides, divers, National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) teams have also been rushed to the spot to trace and fish out these bodies," he said, while expressing his deep condolences to the bereaved family.

The police has registered a case and is investigating.