Kollam Well Tragedy: Three Dead, Including Fire Officer, During Rescue Attempt
Kollam: A tragic incident in Kottarakkara has resulted in the deaths of three individuals, including a Fire Force officer, during a rescue operation after a woman jumped into a well. The deceased have been identified as Sony S. Kumar (36), a Fire Force officer from the Kottarakkara unit and a resident of Mamatha in Elamba, Attingal; Archana (33) of Vishnu Vilasam in Munduparackal, Anakkottoor West, Neduvathur Panchayat; and Sivakrishnan (24) from Kodungallur, who was living with Archana.
Preliminary investigations indicate that the accident occurred when the stone wall of the well collapsed during the rescue efforts. Archana, who worked as a home nurse, had been living with Sivakrishnan for the past two months. According to reports, a domestic dispute erupted last night after Sivakrishnan, under the influence of alcohol, created a commotion at their residence.
The altercation escalated when Archana hid the remaining liquor, leading Sivakrishnan to assault her. In response to the assault, Archana reportedly jumped into the well in the courtyard of their house around 12:30 AM.
The Kottarakkara Fire Force unit promptly arrived at the scene to commence rescue operations. Fire Force officer Sony S. Kumar descended into the well and successfully rescued Archana, bringing her almost three-quarters of the way to the surface. However, at this critical moment, the well’s stone wall unexpectedly gave way, causing both Sony and Archana to fall back into the depths of the well.
Sivakrishnan, who was assisting the rescue efforts by leaning against the well’s wall and providing light with a torch, also fell into the well when the structure collapsed. Sony S. Kumar was immediately pulled out but had succumbed to his injuries. The recovery of Archana’s and Sivakrishnan’s bodies proved more challenging, taking approximately two hours.
The bodies of all three victims have been transferred to the mortuary at Kottarakkara Taluk Hospital. Archana is survived by her three children. This incident has cast a pall of grief over the local community.