Four schoolchildren found dead in Chennai lake after going missing
Synopsis
Four schoolchildren — aged 10 to 13 — who went missing from a Chennai neighbourhood on Saturday were found dead in Thiruneermalai lake the following day. Police suspect drowning after the children apparently became trapped in slush. The tragedy has raised fresh questions about unsecured water bodies near residential areas in Chennai's suburbs.
Key Takeaways
Four schoolchildren — K.
Devadarshan (12) , D.
Yuvanesh (10) , Pooja (13) , and Khushi (13) — were found dead in Thiruneermalai lake in Chennai on Sunday, 5 October 2026 .
The children, all friends from Krishna Street, Lakshmipuram, Chromepet , went missing on Saturday afternoon .
A missing persons complaint was filed at Chromepet police station after an overnight search yielded no leads.
Bodies were retrieved by police and Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services personnel and sent for post-mortem to Tambaram District Government Hospital .
Police reportedly suspect the children became trapped in slush and drowned; the exact sequence of events is yet to be established.
Four schoolchildren who went missing from their homes in Chromepet, Chennai, on Saturday, 4 October 2026, were found dead in Thiruneermalai lake on Sunday, police confirmed. The victims — two boys and two girls, all friends — were residents of Krishna Street in Lakshmipuram, and their bodies were spotted floating in the water by members of the public.
Who the children were
Police identified the four victims as K. Devadarshan, 12, a Class 7 student at a government school; D. Yuvanesh, 10, a Class 6 student at a private school; and Pooja and Khushi, both 13 and studying in Class 8 at a government school. The children were close friends who lived in the same neighbourhood.
How the search unfolded
The children were last seen playing together near their homes on Saturday afternoon. When they failed to return, their families alerted relatives and friends, and circulated photographs through local WhatsApp groups appealing for information. Late that night, with no leads, the parents of the two boys filed a missing persons complaint at Chromepet police station.
Police subsequently alerted personnel at Tambaram, Egmore, and Chennai Central railway stations, as well as the Kelambakkam bus terminus, to check whether the children had travelled outside the area.
Discovery and recovery
The search ended in tragedy on Sunday when visitors to Thiruneermalai Periya Eri, near Lakshmipuram, spotted four bodies floating in the lake and alerted authorities. Police and personnel from the Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services reached the site and retrieved the bodies. Family members identified the children on the shore, after which the bodies were transferred to the mortuary at Tambaram District Government Hospital for post-mortem examinations.
Investigation under way
Investigators are working to establish how the children reached the lake and the circumstances in which they entered the water. Police reportedly suspect that the children may have become trapped in slush and drowned, though the exact sequence of events has not yet been confirmed. Enquiries are continuing.
This incident has renewed concerns over unsupervised access to water bodies in and around Chennai's suburban localities, where lakes and tanks are often unfenced and poorly marked.
Point of View
Including Thiruneermalai Periya Eri, remain unfenced and unmarked despite sitting close to densely populated residential areas. This is not an isolated incident — suburban lakes across Tamil Nadu have claimed young lives in similar circumstances in recent years. The tragedy also exposes how quickly information gaps emerge when children go missing: despite family outreach, WhatsApp appeals, and police alerts at railway stations and bus termini, the children could not be located until it was too late. A systematic audit of water body safety in Chennai's peripheral localities, paired with clear emergency protocols for missing children, is long overdue.
NationPress
4 Oct 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What happened to the four children found dead in Chennai?
Four schoolchildren from Chromepet, Chennai — aged between 10 and 13 — went missing on Saturday afternoon and were found dead the following day in Thiruneermalai lake, near Lakshmipuram. Police suspect they drowned, possibly after becoming trapped in slush, though a formal investigation is ongoing.
Who were the children found dead in Thiruneermalai lake?
The victims were identified as K. Devadarshan (12), D. Yuvanesh (10), Pooja (13), and Khushi (13), all residents of Krishna Street, Lakshmipuram, Chromepet. They were friends and attended different schools in the area.
How were the missing children found?
Members of the public visiting Thiruneermalai Periya Eri on Sunday spotted four bodies floating in the lake and informed authorities. Police and Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services personnel retrieved the bodies, which family members subsequently identified.
What is the cause of death of the Chennai children?
An official cause of death has not yet been established. Police reportedly suspect the children became trapped in slush and drowned, but the full sequence of events is still being investigated. Post-mortem examinations are being conducted at Tambaram District Government Hospital.
What action did police take after the children were reported missing?
After a missing persons complaint was filed at Chromepet police station, police alerted personnel at Tambaram, Egmore, and Chennai Central railway stations, as well as the Kelambakkam bus terminus. Enquiries into the circumstances of the deaths are continuing.
