From correspondents in India, 10:30 PM IST

Four girls, aged between 7 and 11 and belonging to a shepherd community, drowned in an open well Thursday in a village near here, an official said.

'Amsavalli, a 9-year-old girl, strayed too close to an open well as she chased her sheep that were going astray. She fell in and cried for help. Three of her friends in the same age group tried to save her by jumping in and were drowned too,' a police official said.

'We face chronic water shortage throughout the year. A few showers filled up a few wells and our cup of misery as well,' N. Narayanan, 26, who tried to save the children in vain, told reporters.

Situated 300 km south of state capital Chennai, the water-bodies here are usually dry throughout the year due to lack of rainfall. The scant groundwater has been polluted by discharge of effluents from nearby industries that include a public sector paper mill. The region had experienced decent rainfall this year.

(Staff Writer, © IANS)