Screengrab of the CCTV visual shows an SUV being submerged in an inundated subway in Madurai on October 12, 2024
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
A police constable named Thangamuthu, ably assisted by a few local youth, rescued two passengers of an SUV that submerged in flooded subway at Ponnagaram in Madurai city on Saturday (October 12, 2024) night.
Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) S. Davidson Devasirvatham, on Sunday appreciated the constable and two persons, R. Chandrasekar (36) and G. Karthikeyan (26), and presented rewards for their act of bravery in rescuing the stranded passengers.
According to the police, a police patrol vehicle was stationed near the Railway Girder Bridge to prevent vehicles getting into the 10-feet-deep water. However, a speeding SUV suddenly got into the subway without knowing the danger ahead, around 11 p.m.
Only after at least half of the vehicle got submerged into the water, the driver, Gopi, realised the danger. The constable Thangamuthu raised an alarm seeking help to which few youth responded quickly.
“The constable bravely jumped into the water under darkness and swam upto the SUV. After opening the doors, both the passengers got down and the vehicle further moved into the water and was totally submerged,” said Mr. Chandrasekar, who runs an egg shop in the vicinity.
He was supported by the local youth. Along with Karthikeyan and others they got a rope from Corporation workers and pulled the rescued persons out of the water.
Mr. Chandrasekar said though it was drizzling since 9 p.m., heavy downpour started around 10 p.m. The rain that continued for more than 45 minutes filled up the subway quickly.
Meanwhile, the wheels of police patrol vehicle which was parked on the slope of the subway, started to roll into subway. The panicked driver had failed to apply the hand-brake properly and the patrol vehicle also got submerged in the rain water.
Commissioner of Police, G. Loganathan, Deputy Commissioner of Police (South), Garad Karun Uddavrao, visited the spot.
Fire and Rescue services personnel pulled the vehicles out of the water.
Published – October 13, 2024 03:23 pm IST