SALEM: Tragedy struck Maniyarkundam on Saturday, as panic over the rumours of the sighting of an elephant herd led to the death of two children who were found drowned in a well. This added to the fear the villagers have been in after the unusual sighting of a seven-member elephant herd moving in the area on Monday last. The children, seven-year-old Mukilan and 10-year-old Suriya, sons of tribal farmers Govindanar and Annamalai, went missing on Friday afternoon. Rumour flew that the herd had been spotted again, however, the elephants had moved to the plains in the foothills.
The police said, the villagers suspect the boys may have run to spot the elephants after the false alert, but fell into the well and drowned. Their bodies were spotted on Saturday.