The state of Tamil Nadu has been mourning the loss of seven girls, who died after drowning in a dam in the Cuddalore district on Sunday - June 5. The big tragedy has saddened the state and got huge attention from across the country. Several leaders including President Ram Nath Kovind have paid tribute to the deceased and expressed condolences to the bereaved families.

The deceased girls were aged between 10 to 18 and they were drowned in a check dam on Sunday afternoon when they went to bathe. All the girls were neighbours and friends and they went into the water of the dam across the Geddilam river near Cuddalore. The police have said that all the girls were washed away by a strong undercurrent in the deep end of the dam and eventually, they were drowned.

According to reports, the deceased have been identified as A Monisha (16), M Navaneetha (18), K Priya (18), S Sangavi (16), R Divya Darshini (10), her sister R Priyadarshini (16), and M Kumudha (18). All the girls were a native of A Kuchipalayam village near Nellikuppam in the Cuddalore district. After learning about the incident that the girls were trapped in the dam, the local Fire and Rescue personnel had rushed to the spot and tried to save the girls. 

But, the officials had only recovered the bodies, which were later sent to the Cuddalore district hospital for performing an autopsy. The check dam has been built on the Geddilam river that flows near the village of Kuchipalayam, located near Nellikuppam. As the area witnessed a toasting scale of heat on Sunday, the girls had decided to bathe in the dam and two girls were initially washed away to the deep end and when the rest of the girls had tried to save them, they also began to drown in the water. 

The demise of seven girls had shocked hundreds of thousands of people and several leaders have been paying tribute to the deceased. On Monday- June 6, President Ram Nath Kovind paid tribute to the deceased girls and said the incident was a heart-rendering tragedy. Taking to Twitter he wrote, "The drowning of seven girls in a check dam on a river near Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, is a heart-rending tragedy. Such events shock me to the core. I convey my condolences to the bereaved families." 

Earlier on Sunday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin has also condoled the deaths and has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh to each of their families from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund. Tamil Nadu Minister of Agriculture MRK Panneerselvam has paid tribute to the girls and instructed the local residents not to venture into the water and not to risk their lives by bathing in water bodies and dangerous areas. 

The drowning of seven girls in a check dam on a river near Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu, is a heart-rending tragedy. Such events shock me to the core. I convey my condolences to the bereaved families.

— President of India (@rashtrapatibhvn) June 6, 2022