VELLORE: Two siblings died on Wednesday after falling into a pit dug for constructing a water tank on private agricultural land at the Latheri village in Vellore.
According to the Latheri police, Prithisha (8) and Ishwar (5) — children of N Manikandan, a mason and Priya from Velampattu Gate near Katpadi — lost their lives after falling into the pit.
The family was building a new house, and a pit measuring around 10 feet in breadth, 8 feet in length, and 7 feet in depth had been dug for storing water near the house. Due to recent rains, the pit was filled with about 5 feet of water.
The siblings were playing near the pit when they accidentally fell into it and drowned. After not seeing them for nearly an hour, Manikandan began searching for them and noticed their footprints near the pit. Growing suspicious, he searched the pit and discovered the children had drowned in it.