Three persons including two women were killed when a car plunged into a canal near Vennikkulam in Pathanamathitta district, Kerala, on Monday.
The deceased were identified as Chandy Mathew, a native of Kumily, and his daughters Blessy Chandy and Feba Chandy. The accident occurred around 8 a. m. when the car, while overtaking a bus, skidded off the road and fell into the swollen waterbody.
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Rain delayed rescue
Eyewitness accounts said the car remained adrift on the water for a few minutes before being swept away by heavy currents. Local people launched a rescue operation, though to no avail. The heavy rain that lashed the region the previous night and the resultant rise in water level delayed the operation.
Fire and Rescue Services personnel, who rushed to the spot, recovered the vehicle and rushed the passengers trapped inside to a hospital nearby. Though the two women were declared dead on arrival, Mr. Mathew breathed his last at the hospital.
