Tamil Nadu: 37 drowned in GA Canal in last 3 months; 16-year-old boy latest victim

TIRUCHY: A 16-year-old boy was swept away in the GA canal in Thanjavur on Wednesday, and the fire personnel noted that as many as 37 persons have drowned in the GA Canal in the past three months since the release of water for irrigation.

S Gokulakrishnan (16), a resident of Manojipatti in Thanjavur, went to take a bath in the GA canal along with his friends on Tuesday evening. While they were bathing, suddenly, Gokulakrishnan was swept away in the water. His friends attempted to rescue him, but their efforts turned futile.

Subsequently, they passed on the information to the fire and rescue personnel. The officers searched for Gokulakrishnan till late in the night. However, they were not able to locate him.

The fire personnel continued their search later on Wednesday and found the body of Gokulakrishnan at the GA canal banks at MK Moopanar Road. They retrieved his body and sent it to the Medical College Hospital for a post-mortem examination. Medical College police have registered a case and are investigating.

Meanwhile, the Thanjavur District Fire Officer Kumar said, as many as 37 persons had so far drowned in the GA canal in the last three months. Among the deceased were three school students and five college students. “We have been regularly raising awareness among the public to be careful while taking a bath in the water body. We have also been asking the people not to take selfies, but they continue to neglect our warnings,” the officer said.