Couple killed in TN as their auto rickshaw falls in a well

Chennai: A couple died, but their daughter escaped unhurt after an autorickshaw they were travelling in fell in a roadside well on Thursday in Tiruppur district.

N. Vadivel, 55, was taking home his wife Banumathi, 50, and his daughter Agaya, a class VII student, in a freight carrier auto rickshaw. The family was on its way back from a temple festival when the auto plunged into a 70-feet deep well. Vadivel, who was driving the autorickshaw, fell asleep at the wheels and lost control, Vaiga told the police.

Vadivel lived on setting up marquees and stages for temple festivals and other functions. A couple of days ago, he had set up a stage for a temple festival at Tiruppur.

Early morning Tuesday, he was returning home with wife and daughter after attending the temple festival, alongside having loaded up the auto with generator and other tools for the stage. When the auto rickshaw fell into the well, the daughter opened the side door of the vehicle and escaped and alerted the locals for help.

"Agaya told us that her father lost control of the auto, and it went out of the road and plunged into the well. She opened the door of the auto and came out of it and called help," J. Ramadevi, Inspector of Police, Vellakovil Police station told IANS.

The villagers who rushed to the spot were not able to rescue the couple from the well, which had water at 45-feet. Firefighters later pulled the couple out dead.