Three of family drown while bathing in Cauvery River in Erode

Erode: Three people, including a husband and wife, drowned while bathing in Cauvery river near Pasur dam here on Sunday.The Malayampalayam police identified the deceased as Perumal, 42, of Avinashipatti area near Tiruchengode, his wife Bharathi, 38, and her relative Pradeepa, 21, of Kodumudi in Erode. A police officer said Perumal visited his mother-in-law's house near Kodumudi on Saturday. "He went to bathe in Cauvery near Pasur dam with his wife Bharathi and her relatives on Sunday. Perumal, Bharathi, Pradeepa, and three others drowned in the river. When other relatives raised an alarm, people in the vicinity sprang into a rescue operation and saved three of them." He said Perumal died on the spot. "Bharathi and Pradeepa were taken to hospital in an ambulance but died on the way." The Malayampalayam police have registered a case and are investigating. The bodies of Perumal, Bharathi and Pradeepa were sent to the Erode Govt General Hospital for postmortem examinations.