KOLLAM: Three people, including a Fire and Rescue officer, died during a tragic rescue attempt after a woman jumped into a well at Neduvathoor in Kollam late on Monday night.
The deceased have been identified as Soni S Kumar (36), a native of Attingal and a member of the Kottarakkara Fire and Rescue Unit; Archana (33), a native of Neduvathoor; and her partner Sivakrishnan (22), a native of Kodungalloor in Thrissur.
According to police, Archana reportedly jumped into the well in the compound of her house following a heated argument with Sivakrishnan. The Fire and Rescue Department was called to the scene, and Soni entered the well with a rope tied around his waist to rescue her.
While Soni was bringing Archana up, Sivakrishnan, who was leaning against the well wall to shine a flashlight inside, accidentally caused the wall to collapse. The structure gave way, and Sivakrishnan, along with the debris, fell into the well, trapping all three inside.
Soni was pulled out immediately as he was secured with a rope, while Archana and Sivakrishnan were retrieved later from under the debris. Despite being rushed to a nearby hospital with the help of local residents, all three were declared dead on arrival.
Another Fire and Rescue team from Kollam joined the efforts following the wall collapse.
Police said the couple had been living together at Archana’s residence for the past two months. On the night of the incident, Sivakrishnan had allegedly returned home intoxicated and caused a disturbance. When Archana hid the remaining liquor, a quarrel broke out, leading to the tragic sequence of events.
