Chennai Police rescue 27 children who went missing on beaches on Kaanum Pongal day, reunite them with parents

27 missing children rescued by Greater Chennai City Police on Kaanum Pongal day at Marina and Elliot's beaches.

On Kaanum Pongal day on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, 27 children who went missing from the Marina and Elliot’s beaches, were rescued by the Greater Chennai City Police (GCP) personnel and reunited with their parents.

The city police had made security arrangements in view of Kaanum Pongal festivities, in areas where the general public were expected to congregate in large numbers: Marina Beach, Elliot’s Beach at Besant Nagar, the Children’s Park in Guindy, the Tamil Nadu Government Tourism Exhibition at Island Grounds and various theme/amusement parks.

For the immediate tracing of missing children, identity cards prepared by the GCP were kept at all police assistance booths from the Labour Statue to the Gandhi Statue at Marina, and at temporary police control rooms at Elliot’s Beach. This was given to all adults who came with children. The ID card was filled in with details, including the name of the child, name of the parent, address and mobile number of the parent, and was tied to the hand of the children.

A senior police officer said 23 children were reported missing from the Marina Beach sands from Labor Statue to Kannagi Statue under the D-6 Anna square police station limits; two went missing from the Marina Beach from the Kannagi Statue to the Lighthouse, under the D-5 Marina police station limits, and two more children went missing from Besant Nagar Elliot’s beach, under the J-5 Shastri Nagar police station limits. All of them, a total of 27 missing children, were rescued by the GCP and reunited with their parents.