A young woman and her two children reportedly took poison in an attempt to commit suicide at their home in Kancheepuram district on Friday night.
The mother and her daughter died at a private hospital on Saturday morning, but the boy is battling for life, police said.
Uma, 29, who worked as a was married to Saravanan, 33, a handicapped tailor. The couple lived in Kalanipakkam village in Kancheepuram with their two children, 12-year-old Arti and 10-year-old
Abhi.
Uma was employed as a sweeper at a private hospital. The family reportedly had financial trouble, and the couple used to fight a lot, neighbours told the police.
On Friday night, the family had dinner and went to bed as usual. Saravanan awoke at midnight to find that his wife and children were frothing at the mouth and gasping for breath.
Saravanan shouted for help and his neighbours arrived on the scene and rushed the three of them, who were unconscious by then, to a private hospital in their neighbourhood.
The police was informed and Saravanan was taken in for questioning. On Sunday morning, doctors declared Uma and Arti dead. Abhi is in the Intensive Care Unit ICU and is said to be in a critical condition.
Domestic discord seems to be the reason for the suicide. Police has registered a case and further investigation is progressing.