THOOTHUKUDI: As many as five people, including a one-and-a-half-year-old baby, drowned in an open farm well when the Omni van they were travelling in plunged into the 55-foot-deep roadside well at Meerankulam near Sathankulam here on Saturday. Three other occupants of the van had a miraculous escape.
Police identified the deceased as D Moses (55), M Vasantha (50), S Ravi Kovilpichai (60), Hepsi Kiruba (50) and J Stalin (the baby). They were caught inside the vehicle, which got stuck in the mud at the bottom of the well, police said. The three survivors were M Jersom (29), J Shiny (26) and R Jenitta Esther (26). They were rescued by passers-by from the well as the door of the van opened, police said.
Sources said the eight relatives (from Coimbatore and Thanjavur) were heading for a feast festival (Asanam) at Vellalanvilai church in the van on Saturday evening. When they reached Meerankulam on the Tirunelveli-Sathankulam road, the van driver lost control and the vehicle plunged into the farm well, located 50 feet from the road.
More than 30 fire and rescue personnel attached to emergency rescue centres in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, besides firefighters from Thisayanvilai, and Sathankulam units, were roped in for the rescue operations, which were affected due to the depth of the well and sunset.
S Prakash, a local person who had tried to rescue the van occupants, said the vehicle got stuck in the mud at the bottom of the well, which had a small parapet wall.
K Ganesan, District Fire Officer, said the vehicle stuck in the mud was recovered after an hour-long struggle by scuba divers. The bodies too were fished out and shifted to Tirunelveli GH, he added.
A case has been registered at Sathankulam police station.
Rs 3 lakh solatium
More than 30 personnel attached to rescue centres in Nellai and Thoothukudi, besides firefighters from Thisayanvilai and Sathankulam units, were roped in for the rescue operations. Chief Minister MK Stalin has condoled the death of the five persons and announced a solatium of Rs 3 lakh each to the kin of the deceased.