Baby washed away in floods, body found along river in Ariyalur

It is said, Alex (37), a resident from Tharanallur in Tiruchy along with his wife Sandhya (28) and daughter Jeni Hasini (2), went to his father-in-law’s house in Variyangaval in Jayankondam in Ariyalur on Wednesday.

While his wife Sandhya rode pillion, the baby was sitting in front of the bike.

When they reached V-Kaikatti, there was a heavy downpour and the couple along with the baby waited for some time before continuing their travel. When they were at Nerunchikorai at Tiruchy-Chidambaram road, the bridge across a rain-fed river was overflowing due to the rain. Alex who did not notice it, lost his balance and all three fell down. Sandhya and child Jeni Hasini were washed away immediately.

Passers-by rescued Sandhya but the baby could not be traced. Ariyalur police along with the fire and rescue personnel searched for the baby but they could not locate it.

On Thursday morning, the police found the baby dead and trapped in a bush along the river.

In Madurai, a three-year-old girl drowned in a tank in front of her house at Karuvanur village near M Chithiraipatti on Thursday. The deceased girl, Ananthi (name changed) was playing in front of her house in the morning. When she was not found after sometime, her parents thought that the baby had gone to the neighbour’s house. An hour later, when they realised that she was missing, they began a frantic search. When they checked the 4-foot-deep tank before their house, they were shocked to find her unconscious in it. She was rushed to a nearby private hospital but was declared brought dead.

The body was taken to Madurai GRH for post-mortem and Chathirapatti police were informed.