The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : School girl drowns in lake at amusement park

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Thursday, Jan 17, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

School girl drowns in lake at amusement park

Staff Reporter

Several others fall as two motor boats collide

R. Anusha

CHENNAI: An 11-year-old girl drowned and 10 others fell into a lake at Queensland Amusement Park near Poonamallee when two motor boats carrying them collided on Wednesday afternoon.

According to police, R. Anusha of Dr. Vimala Nagar in Medavakkam near Tambaram had come to the amusement park with her parents. As it was a holiday, there was more than the usual crowd at the facility.

Along with a few others, Anusha and her parent took a ride on a motor boat that collided with another boat coming by the side. Ten persons from both the boats fell into the lake.

Though the adults, most of them women, were rescued swiftly, the girl could not be saved by the rescue team.

Inquiries revealed that Anusha turned unconscious after consuming excess water. She was rushed to a private nursing home in Poonamallee, where she was declared ‘brought dead.’ The body was sent to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital for post-mortem.

Nazarethpet police have registered a case under IPC Section 304 A (cause of death due to negligence). A police officer said the two boat riders, boat owner and the supervisor in-charge of the amusement park are being questioned.

Joint Commissioner of Police (Central) P. Balasubramanian said the police are investigating whether overcrowding led to drowning or the persons responsible for the operations failed to ensure safety aspects before letting people get into the boats.

On receipt of the information, a pall of gloom descended on 1st Main Road, Dr. Vimala Nagar in Medavakkam, where Anusha has been living for the past 18 months. Her father Raju (45) is a building contractor while her mother Stella (40), a housewife.

Anusha was studying in fifth standard at a matriculation school in Medavakkam. Her elder sister Jonisha (15) is a tenth standard student in the same school. Neighbours were shocked when they heard the news.

They described Anusha as a cheerful and a dedicated student.

Inconsolable

Her mother and elder sister were inconsolable and were brought to a relative’s house in Sembakkam near Tambaram. Her relatives told reporters that Anusha, her sister and their parents left home at 11 a.m. in a car for the outing.

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