Five girls drown in pond

Five girls drowned in a pond in a nearby village where they had gone to take a bath, authorities said.

"The incident occurred around 11.30 AM when the girls -- two children and three teenagers -- went to take a bath in a pond in Chinnampoompallam in Rangapuram village," a top district official told PTI.

While one victim was 16-years-old, two others were aged 13. The other girls were aged 12 and nine, he said.