Toddler drowns in Hennur church pool

A toddler drowned in the fountain pool of a church in Hennur on Tuesday.

A year-and-a-half-old Beronica Nayak was the daughter of Samir Nayak and Neelima Nayak, natives of Odisha.

Samir works as a cab driver at Pallotti Nilaya, a residential complex for Pallottine Fathers, housing the St Vincent Pallotti College and the church. Neelima is a domestic help.

On Tuesday, Samir was on duty, while Beronica was playing in the front yard, with her mother busy in the kitchen. Lakshman, a security guard, said that following a drizzle, everyone ran for shelter. Once the rain stopped, the mother came searching for her daughter and Lakshman told her he saw her near the fountain pool, a few metres from their house. He said the child was in the habit of standing up using the wall for support and throwing stones into the pool.

The child died on her way to hospital.