PALAKKAD: What began as a normal afternoon of play turned into a nightmare at the Thudikkode tribal colony near Meenvallam in Palakkad on Tuesday as three children — two brothers and their cousin — drowned in a marshy area near their home.
Pradeep, 5, and Prajeesh, 3, sons of Prakasan and Anitha of Thudikkode tribal colony, and Radhika, 9, daughter of Prakasan’s sister Madhavi, reportedly drowned when they stepped into the waterlogged area while playing.
The children, playing outside the house, were reported missing around 3pm. At the time, Prakasan was admitted to the Palakkad District Hospital for treatment of heart-related illness while Anitha was at home caring for their one-year-old baby. No one noticed the children wandering off until they failed to return.
Upon noticing that the children were missing, the family members along with neighbours and other residents began a search immediately. By 5pm, the children’s footwear were found near the waterbody located inside a private property and rarely visited by anyone. Fearing the worst, villagers searched the waterbody, and it was Krishnan, Prakasan’s brother-in-law, who pulled the children out.
The children were found lying motionless in the muddy water. Radhika was rushed to a hospital in Thachampara, while Pradeep and Prajeesh were taken to Palakkad District Hospital. The three were declared brought dead.
‘Children may have entered water out of curiosity’
Jaffer H, Karimba grama panchayat member, said the recent rain has filled the marshy area with water, which may have drawn the children to it. “They perhaps got stuck in the mud while trying to play. The tragedy has devastated the entire community,” he said. Police suspect the children may have entered the water out of curiosity. The swamp, concealed by overgrowth and barely frequented, was searched only after all other possibilities were exhausted.
The children’s bodies will be handed over to the family on Wednesday morning after postmortem. Radhika was a Class 4 student at Maruthumkadu Government LP School, while Pradeep was a Class 1 student. Later in the day, Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan, Kongad MLA K Shanthakumari, Palakkad MLA Rahul Mankoottathil, and several other leaders and officials arrived at the Palakkad District Hospital to pay their respects to the children.