3 kids among six of a family drown in Cauvery at Namakkal

Police said Devi Sri (32), wife of Karthik from Annadanapatti in Salem district, had visited her friend Jothimani’s house in Paramathivelur along with her daughter Hasvika (8).

They along with Jothimani’s husband Saravanan, a photographer, and their children Dwarakesh (12) and Deepakesh (12), both twins and studying Class 6 in a private school, then decided to bath in the river. They were accompanied by Saravanan’s nephew Rohith (12). 

While Rohith decided to sit on the banks to look after the belongings, others went into the waters. “Dwarakesh, Deepakesh and Hasvika ventured into deep waters and began to drown. On seeing them struggling, Saravanan, Jothimani and Devi Sri rushed to their rescue, but they too were overpowered and drowned,” police said. 

Shocked by the incident, Rohith immediately called up his family members and informed them. His relatives quickly arrived and alerted the police and Fire and Rescue service personnel, who rushed to the spot and began a search. After a five-hour long search, the fire service personnel managed to fish out the bodies of five persons, while a search is on for Hasvika. The bodies of the deceased persons have been sent for post-mortem at Paramathivelur Government Hospital. Except for Saravanan, none of the victims knew swimming, police said. 

Namakkal collector Asia Mariam, Superintendent of Police Arularasu and incumbent Member of Parliament P R Sundaram visited the spot and consoled the family of the victims. Locals claimed that a 15-feet deep pit had been dug in the river to extract and supply water to a paper mill at Pugalur in Karur district. “Hence, even when the water flow is less, many people who are unaware of its depth drown in the pit,” they alleged. 

The Paramathivelur police have registered a case. Further inquiries are on.