Man drowns to death while opening check dam in Kottayam

PALA: In a tragic incident, a man drowned to death while trying to open a check dam in Pala, Kottayam. The deceased has been identified as Karoor native Urumbil Raju (53). The incident took place at around 1 pm today.

According to sources, Raju's hands got stuck between the planks while he was trying to open the check dam at Kavarumunda near Payappar temple in Pala. With this, Raju got drowned in the water. He was unable to come out as his hands were stuck between the planks. Although some of the locals attempted to rescue Raju, they failed in rescuing him.

Following this, the Fire Force team reached the spot and rushed Raju to the General Hospital. However, his life could not be saved. The wooden planks were installed to hold back the water coming into the check dam during summer. However, as the rains intensified, water started flowing over the planks. The accident happened when Raju was attempting to remove the planks.