4 Pudukkai girls drown in Cauvery at Karur

TIRUCHY: Four school girls from Pudukkottai who came to participate in a football tournament in Karur drowned in the Cauvery on Wednesday and the Education department suspended two teachers for carelessness.

It is said, a team of 13 students from Palapatti Panchayat Union Middle School near Viralimalai in Pudukkottai, including V Sophia (12), R Tamilarasi (13), M Iniya (11) and P Lavanya (11), along with their two teachers Jaya Sahabiyun and Thilakavathi came to participate in the inter-district football tournament at a private college in Thottiyam in Tiruchy.

Karur Collector Prabhushankar consoling teammates of the victims on Wednesday

Since their games were over by 11 am on Wednesday, the students and the teachers, instead of returning back, visited Mayanur Chellandiamman temple and at around 12.30 pm, the students went to take a bath in the Cauvery.

Since the water was not so deep, they went to the middle of the river out of enthusiasm and suddenly, Sophia, who jumped into the river, started drowning. On seeing her drowning, Tamilarasi, Iniya and Lavanya jumped to rescue her, but all four drowned. After students raised an alarm, onlookers rushed to their rescue but with the water flow heavy, they couldn’t succeed.

Though Mayanur police and Musiri Fire and Rescue Services personnel launched a search, they could only retrieve the bodies.

Chief Minister MK Stalin, who condoled the death of the students, announced a compensation of Rs 2 lakh to each family.