A missing 95-year-old woman was tragically found dead in the underground water tank of her Vadodara residence, leaving the Tarsali neighbourhood in shock. Identified as Ujjam Parmar, she had been missing since December 21, 2024. The discovery was made on Wednesday after foul odours from the tank prompted the family to call cleaners.
Makarpura Police Inspector (PI) VS Patel explained, “The family had lodged a missing persons’ complaint on December 22, and we reviewed CCTV footage from the area but could not trace her. The shocking discovery was made when the tank cleaners noticed the body during inspection.”
The tank, located in the backyard of the property, measured approximately 8 x 15 feet. PI Patel stated that the family rarely opened the tank’s lid and had not observed anything unusual during the 10 days she was missing. Fire officials retrieved the decomposed body, which was sent for autopsy.
Case Registered As Accidental Death
Following the autopsy, drowning was identified as the primary cause of death. Based on this finding, the Makarpura police have registered a case of accidental death. The incident has raised concerns about safety measures around water storage facilities in residential areas, especially when involving elderly residents.
This tragedy has prompted discussions on improving security measures and ensuring regular checks of household water systems to prevent such incidents in the future.