Epilepsy-struck girl drowns in water bucket in Coimbatore

COIMBATORE: In a tragic incident, a five-year-old girl died by drowning in a bucket of water following an epileptic attack in Coimbatore.

The deceased, Riya, the only daughter of Ramesh (42) and Sangeetha, from TVS Nagar in Edayarpalayam, was a student in the LKG class at a private school.

Police said Ramesh was employed at a private firm, while Sangeetha works as a music teacher at a school, and they married six years ago after falling in love. “Riya, who was undergoing treatment for epilepsy, had a seizure last Wednesday evening. After visiting a hospital, the girl took leave from school the next day as she also had a fever,” police said.

As the girl did not come out for a long time from the bathroom on Thursday, Sangeetha repeatedly called her out. Since there was no response, the woman opened the unlocked door and was shocked to find her daughter lying with her head inside a water bucket placed near the western-style toilet.

Soon, the neighbours rushed the child to a private hospital and then to Coimbatore Medical College and Hospital (CMCH). The doctors examined and found the girl to have died already. Police inquiries revealed that the girl was seated on the western toilet when she suffered an epileptic attack and toppled into the bucket of water, leading to drowning. The Kavundampalayam police have registered a case, and further inquiries are on.