Daijiworld Media Network - Chennai

Chennai, Nov 9: Four young girls staying at a government-run protection home and their hostel warden drowned in Samuthiram Lake near Perumbakkam in Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai district on Monday, triggering shock and grief across the region.

The tragedy occurred when the girls, accompanied by their warden, went to the lake for a bath during the Deepavali holidays. All five reportedly drowned one after another.

The deceased have been identified as shelter home warden Thenmozhi and the four girls, Vijayalakshmi, Alli, Bhoomika and Valliammal.

According to preliminary information, the girls were residents of a government-run girls' protection home in Perumbakkam, near Tiruvannamalai.

Taking advantage of the festival holidays, they reportedly visited Samuthiram Lake along with Thenmozhi for a bath.

While they were in the water, one of the girls is believed to have encountered difficulties and started drowning. The others reportedly also got into trouble while attempting to deal with the situation, resulting in all five losing their lives.

However, the exact sequence of events and whether any of the victims attempted to rescue the others have not yet been officially established.

After receiving information about the incident, local police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel rushed to the spot and launched a search operation. Rescue personnel subsequently recovered all five bodies from the lake.

The bodies were shifted to a government hospital for post-mortem examinations.

Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths. Investigators are expected to examine whether dangerous underwater conditions, sudden variations in water depth or other hazards contributed to the tragedy.

The incident has also raised concerns over the safety arrangements and supervision of children residing in government-run protection homes, particularly during outings outside institutional premises.

Authorities are expected to investigate whether proper permission had been obtained for the outing and whether adequate safety precautions were taken before the girls were allowed to enter the lake.

The deaths of the four girls and their warden have cast a pall of gloom over the locality during the festive season. Further details are awaited as the investigation continues.