2 girls electrocuted in Chennai's rainwater

Chennai: The callous attitude of authorities led to the deaths of two young girls in Chennai on Wednesday when two girls, both aged 8, got electrocuted as they stepped on a live wire that had been submerged under stagnant rainwater in Kodungaiyur. 

The girls were identified as P. Bhavana and M Yuvashri, residents of F Block in RR Nagar. They were class 3 students at a government school in the neighbourhood.

Owing to a school holiday due to heavy rains, the girls were playing on the streets outside their homes on Wednesday afternoon when the incident happened. Another eight-year-old girl had a close shave as she managed to jump onto a cement slab.

Akshaya, the eight year old who watched her friends swoon in the water told mediapersons that she was playing with the duo when she noticed them falling into the water. "I became afraid and jumped onto a slab nearby. I fainted in a while", Akshaya said.

A few residents who noticed the incident rushed to the aid of the children only to find out that they had been electrocuted. Power supply was cut off and the children were moved to a hospital nearby where they were declared brought
dead.

“On Wednesday, flat owners who saw water entering their parking lots in PTC colony moved their cars out a safe distance away and began clearing things from the ground floor. The situation of around 600 families in Goodwill Nagar is equally bad”, said Karunkara Pandian, secretary, Goodwill Nagar Residents welfare association.

Anjugam Nagar in Tambaram is already flooded and people have been evacuated.

The heavy rains in Kancheepuram district for the third consecutive day also increased the flow of water in Aadhanur and Paapan Canal and there is a breach in Aadhanur canal and if this not attended, there is every possibility of the repeat of 2015 flash floods, Mr Pandian cautioned.

“Except the untoward death of two children in north Chennai due to electrocution, the situation is very much under control. We are attending the monsoon issues on war footing and if there are no rains tonight the city will be normal by Thursday noon”, a senior state official told DC.

“We are ready with the trained state disaster response force personnel and the situation is being monitored. So far there is no need for evacuations. Special officers and collectors are on the field speeding up the official machinery”, commissioner of disaster management K Satyagopal said.

Lakes are under surveillance and the desilting of water bodies has helped us to store 1.75 TMC of storm water, the official said.

Arterial roads connecting Chennai with Tiruvallur and Kancheepuram also witnessed crawling traffic due to potholes and waterlogging. Chennai Central, Saidapet, OMR, Egmore and Kodambakkam witnessed traffic snarls.  

“Vyasarpadi, Perambur, Choolai and Otteri in North Chennai continued to suffer waterlogging and medical camps were set up by the corporation but there is no much improvement as water is not receding”, said social activist V. Sathiabalan.