Two persons washed away in Palar river near Arakkonam

Two persons were washed away in separate incidents in a flash flood in Palar river near Vaniyambadi and Arakkonam towns in Tirupattur and Ranipet districts respectively on Sunday.

Police said the deceased were identified as S. Nirmala (40), a wage worker near Vaniyambadi town, and S. Ramesh (40), who works as lab technician at Government Stanley Hospital in Chennai.

Initial inquiry revealed that in the first incident, Ramesh and his family including two children and wife came to his native Palayakara Kandigai village near Arakkonam town in Ranipet district for the weekend. Along with his family, police said that Ramesh went to Kallaur, a tributary of Palar river, to teach swimming for his son.

Police said Ramesh, who knows swimming, tied a small rope on the waist of his son and allowed to go to a deeper portion of the river. As water flow in the river was high, the boy was washed away in the river.

Immediately, Ramesh jumped into the river to save his son. As the family cried for help, a few fishermen, who were fishing in the river, saved the boy but were unable to trace Ramesh in the river.

Based on orders of Collector J. U. Chandrakala, a NDRF team in Arakkonam were roped in to rescue the lab technician. Arakkonam Taluk police and firefighters were also searching for Ramesh in the river.

In another incident, Nirmala, a farm worker near Vaniyambadi town, tried to cross the Palar river to return to her home when she was washed away in the river. A few people, who noticed it, alerted Vaniyambadi police and firefighters, who were searching for her in the river. A case was registered. A probe is underway.