Elderly couple drown after car sinks in flooded railway underpass in Salem

Salem: An elderly couple died after their car sank in a waterlogged railway underpass at Semmandapatty near Omalur in Salem, district early on Monday morning.The deceased have been identified as Venkatasalam, 61, and his wife Radha, 58, from Chinnathirupathi, in Salem city.Police said the incident took place when the couple was travelling to attend a relative’s wedding near Omalur on Monday. Around 5am their car entered the underpass, which was waterlogged following heavy overnight rains. “They vehicle’s lock got jammed, trapping the couple inside the car. Unable to escape, they drowned,” said a police officer from Omalur station.Later in the morning, locals noticed a car submerged in the underpass and alerted the police. Police officials subsequently recovered the bodies and sent them to the Salem Government Mohan Kumaramangalam Medical College and Hospital for postmortem. Police registered a case and are investigating further.Meanwhile, spokesperson for the Tamil Nadu Congress committee Dr PV Senthil raised concerns over recurring water stagnation in the underpass. “Every time it rains heavily, this underpass turns into a death trap. Officials must act immediately before more lives are lost,” he urged. He further pointed out that no permanent solution has been provided despite repeated complaints from locals.