Woman, her sister, drown trying to save son

Chennai: In a bid to save a four-year-old boy who had slipped into the Krishna Canal water, his mother and aunt drowned near Morai in Avadi on Tuesday. The child was, however, saved by a local youth who jumped into the water and pulled him to safety.Police identified the deceased as Suguna, 23, and her younger sister Anjana, 17, both residents of Avadi. Suguna lived with her husband Chinnadurai, 26, a driver, and their son Santhosh. Anjana, a nursing student, also lived with the couple.According to police, Suguna, Anjana, and Santhosh visited the Krishna Canal on Tuesday to wash clothes and bathe. While they were engaged in their chores near the canal bank, Santhosh accidentally slipped into the water and began to struggle. Suguna, upon noticing her son in distress, immediately jumped into the canal to save him. Anjana, reacting to the emergency, also jumped in to assist.However, both women were unable to swim and were soon overpowered by the strong currents in the canal. A local youth, Nitishkumar, 19, jumped into the canal and pulled Santhosh to safety.Villagers who gathered at the scene managed to retrieve Suguna and Anjana from the water and rushed them to the Primary Health Centre in Morai. Doctors declared both women dead on arrival. Following the incident, the Avadi Tank Factory police registered a case of accidental drowning and sent the bodies to Kilpauk Medical College Hospital for autopsy. Investigations are under way.Police said they had been issuing several warnings to residents asking them to avoid venturing into canals and other open waterbodies, especially during the summer months when water levels and currents may be deceptive.