Chennai: In a tragic incident that has sent shockwaves across Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvannamalai district, five people, including four young girls residing in a government-run protection home and their hostel warden, drowned in Samuthiram Lake near Perumbakkam on Monday.
The incident occurred when the girls, accompanied by their warden, visited the lake for a bath during the Deepavali holidays.
What began as a holiday outing ended in tragedy after all five reportedly drowned one after another.
The deceased have been identified as shelter home warden Thenmozhi and Vijayalakshmi, Alli, Bhoomika, and Valliammal.
According to preliminary information, the four girls were residents of a government-run girls’ protection shelter in Perumbakkam, near Tiruvannamalai.
Taking advantage of the festival holidays, the girls reportedly went to Samuthiram Lake along with Thenmozhi to bathe.
While they were in the water, one of the girls is believed to have encountered difficulties and begun drowning. The others reportedly also got into trouble in the water, resulting in all five losing their lives.
However, the exact sequence of events and whether any of the victims attempted to rescue the others have not yet been officially established.
On getting information about the incident, local police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel rushed to the lake and launched a search operation. Rescue personnel subsequently recovered all five bodies from the water.
The bodies were sent to a government hospital for post-mortem examinations.
Police have registered a case and initiated an investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Investigators are expected to examine whether the lake had dangerous underwater conditions, sudden changes in depth, or other hazards that could have contributed to the tragedy.
The incident has also raised questions about the safety arrangements and supervision of children residing in government-run protection homes, particularly when they are taken outside institutional premises during holidays.
Authorities are expected to examine whether appropriate permission had been obtained for the outing and whether adequate precautions were taken before allowing the children to enter the lake.
The deaths of four young girls and their warden have cast a pall of gloom over the locality during the festive season. Further details are awaited as police continue their investigation into the tragedy.
(IANS)
