CHENNAI: A two-year-old girl was crushed to death under the rear wheel of a tractor in Ponneri in Tiruvallur district on Saturday.
The deceased girl is the youngest child of the couple, Suresh Kumar and Sathya. Suresh Kumar is a fisherman and the family resided in Senchiamman Nagar near Ponneri.
Police said the residents in the neighbourhood are dependent on private tankers for water, as there is a drinking water shortage there. According to officials, several privately operated tractors also sell drinking water to the people of the locality.
On Saturday, Devan (53), a resident of Pazhaverkadu Sivan Koil Street, arrived in Senchiamman Nagar with his tractor-mounted water tanker to sell drinking water. After the residents collected the water, Devan began moving the vehicle without noticing that the two-year-old girl was on the ground near the rear wheel, severely injuring the child.
Residents rushed the unconscious child to the Pulicat Government Hospital, but doctors declared her dead on arrival.
On information, Thirupalaivanam police and Red Hills traffic police reached the scene, recovered the child's body, and sent it to Ponneri Government Hospital for post-mortem examination. The tractor driver, Devan, was arrested, and a case has been registered.