Three people, including a Fire and Rescue Services officer, were killed early Monday (October 13, 2025) during a rescue operation that went awry at Neduvathoor in Kollam, Kerala.
Kollam police identified the deceased as Sonu S. Kumar, 36 years old, a native of Attingal and an emergency worker attached to the Fire and Rescue Services in Kottarakkara; Archana, 33, resident of Neduvathoor; and Sivakrishnan, 22, Archana's partner and a resident of Kodungalloor in Thrissur.
According to police, the Fire and Rescue Department received a distress call in the early hours indicating that Archana had jumped into a municipal well next to her house.
Mr Kumar was part of the emergency rescue team that rushed to the scene. Mr Kumar abseiled into the deep well to pull Archana out of the water when the concrete barricade around the reservoir collapsed.
Police said Sivakrishnan, who was leaning into the well, fell into the depths. The falling debris fatally pinned the three to the bottom.
The remaining members of the unit and locals pulled the three out of the well. However, when they rose to the surface, they showed scant signs of life. They were rushed to a local hospital, where doctors declared the three dead.
Police said their preliminary conclusion was that Archana had taken the extreme step after a fight with Sivakrishnan over an allegedly missing bottle of alcohol. They said they had retrieved videos that Archana had posted on social media showing the injuries she suffered.
The police have reported an unnatural death.
(Suicide Prevention Helpline: Disha – 1056, 0471-2552056)
Published – Oct 13, 2025 10:05 AM IST
