Nurse and four girls drown in deep irrigation tank in Tiruvannamalai

In Samuthiram village of Tamil Nadu's Tiruvannamalai district on Monday (9 November, 2026), a staff nurse and four girls met a tragic end after drowning in an irrigation tank. According to a report by The Hindu, the deceased include 24-year-old staff nurse Thenmozhi and four girls: Vijayalakshmi (14), Alli (14), Pumika (13), and Valliyammal (16). All of them were associated with a government-recognised ashram for girls.

On Monday afternoon, staff nurse Thenmozhi had gone for a bath in an irrigation tank located on Perumbakkam Main Road with approximately 13 girls. When Pumika, her sisters, and Valliyammal entered the water, they suddenly slipped and fell into a deep part of the tank. According to the police, staff nurse Thenmozhi attempted to rescue the children, but she too drowned in the water. Police investigations revealed that none of the deceased knew how to swim.

Hearing the screams of the drowning children, nearby residents rushed to the spot and informed the Tiruvannamalai West police and the fire brigade. Firefighters recovered all five bodies, which were sent to the Tiruvannamalai city government medical college and hospital for post-mortem. A case has been registered by the police in this matter.

Regarding the identity of the deceased, it was stated that Valliyammal was a resident of Kilpennathur village, while the other three girls were sisters from Karapattu village near Chengam. Preliminary investigations have revealed that the ashram where these children resided has been operational in this area for over a decade.

Following the accident, Collector Vandana Garg and Superintendent of Police R. Uthayakumar visited the families of the deceased at the hospital in the presence of hospital Dean Advina Vasanthani. Subsequently, the officials visited the site and inspected the irrigation tank. Further investigation into the entire incident is currently underway.