CHENNAI: A 65-year-old woman, her grandson and another relative – a 11-year-old girl – drowned in an open well at Silavattam village near Madurantakam on Saturday morning.
The deceased have been identified as R Shanthi (65), M Dashwanth (13), a class 7 student, and their relative G Kaushika, a class 6 student.
The trio used to frequent the place for washing clothes. The well, built with stone retaining walls, has no protective wall, and the surrounding uneven soil embankments sloped directly into the water, sources said.
While Shanthi was washing clothes, the two children allegedly climbed down into the well and were playing when they got trapped in the slush. Hearing their cries, Shanthi got into the well to rescue them but also ended up getting trapped. None of the three knew swimming, sources added.
A villager who later noticed the clothes on the bank grew suspicious and found the three inside the well. The Fire and Rescue Services personnel retrieved the bodies after a prolonged search operation. When TNIE contacted Chengalpattu Fire and Rescue Services personnel, they said, “The well is at least 20 foot deep. It’s difficult to locate the bodies, and after nearly an hour of searching, we retrieved all three.”
Shanthi was residing with her son Murugan, an employee at the BDO office in Silavattam. One of her daughters lives near the village, while another resides in Thirukazhukundram.