Child Among 5 Dead After Van Falls Into Roadside Well In Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi

In Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu, a van carrying eight people plunged into a well, killing five, including a child. The accident occurred near Sathankulam while en route to a church event from Coimbatore.

Representational Image |The incident happened near Sathankulam in this district when they were proceeding for a Church event near here from Coimbatore.

Source : ABPLIVE AI

Thoothukudi (Tamil Nadu), May 17 (PTI) Five persons, including a child, drowned after a van with eight occupants plunged into a roadside well in this district on Saturday, officials said.

Chief Minister M K Stalin condoled the deaths and announced ex-gratia.

The incident happened near Sathankulam in this district when they were proceeding for a Church event near here from Coimbatore.

The driver of the vehicle lost control of the van while crossing Meerankulam village and it plunged into the roadside open well, they said. Three persons managed to swim out to safety but the others drowned, a police official said.

After hours of search and rescue operations undertaken by personnel of Fire services, five bodies were retrieved. The victims were aged between one and a half years and 60 years and included two women and a boy.

Chief minister Stalin expressed anguish and shock over the incident.

In an official statement, he announced Rs three lakh each to the families of the victims from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund.

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)