Four schoolgirls from Pudukottai drown in river Cauvery at Karur

Chief Minister M.K. Stalin announced a solatium of ₹2 lakh each to the bereaved families. The headmaster and two teachers of the government school in Pudukottai district have been placed under suspension.

Four students of a government school in Pudukottai district, aged between 11 and 13 years, were drowned in the Cauvery near Mayanur on Wednesday.

Police and revenue sources said 15 students of the Pilipatti Panchayat Union Middle School in the Viralimalai taluk had gone to take part at the State-level Republic Day sports meet organised by the School Education Department at Kongunadu College of Engineering and Technology at Thottiyam. The teams of more than 100 schools from different parts of the State took part at the three-day meet that began on Wednesday.

After playing a match against a Tiruvarur school team, the Pudukottai school students, accompanied by two teachers, had gone to Mayanur to take bath in the Cauvery. Since the flow in the river was not heavy, the students ventured to the middle of the river, where they were caught in the swirl.

On seeing their friends being pulled in, the other students and the teachers raised an alarm and made desperate efforts to save them. On information, the Fire and Rescue Services and the police rushed to the spot and rescued 11 students and two teachers. The rescuers subsequently recovered the bodies of the four students.

The deceased were identified as V. Sofia, 12; R. Tamilarasi, 13; M. Iniya, 11; and P. Lavanya, 11. The bodies were taken to the Government Medical College Hospital in Karur for a post-mortem.

Collector T. Prabhushankar, who visited the spot and monitored the rescue operation, told The Hindu that since some of the rescued students were in shock, they had been taken to a guesthouse and were being counselled by a psychiatrist. They were given medical attention by a team of doctors. The students and the teachers would be escorted to their village in Pudukottai district. The Mayanur police have registered a case.

In a statement, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin has condoled the death of the students and sanctioned an ex gratia of ₹2 lakh each to their families.