Tamil Nadu Woman Dies After Fall From Hilltop Temple As Monkeys Surround Her

A 24-year-old newly married woman fell to her death from a hilltop in Tamil Nadu's Thoothukudi district on Saturday after reportedly panicking when a group of monkeys surrounded her while she was feeding them fruits.

The victim, identified as Anitha from Thoothukudi's South Thittankulam area, had married 29-year-old Suresh just last month. Suresh, who works abroad, had recently returned home, and the couple visited the Kalugasalamoorthy Temple at Kazhugumalai to offer prayers.

After worshipping at the main temple, the couple climbed to the hilltop Uchipillaiyar shrine. Police said the couple was feeding fruits to monkeys when several of the animals suddenly gathered around them.

"The monkeys appear to have triggered panic in her. We are investigating," a police officer told NDTV.

According to the preliminary investigation, Anitha lost her balance in the panic and fell from the hilltop, dying on the spot before her husband, who was left devastated. Visuals showed the grieving husband breaking down beside his wife's body.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel from Kazhugumalai, along with the police, retrieved the body and sent it for post-mortem examination.

Police have registered a case and are continuing their investigation into the circumstances surrounding the fatal fall.