Lorry which fell into quarry pond in Kottayam is found; driver's body stuck in cabin

KOTTAYAM: The body of the missing lorry driver was found as the lorry fell into a quarry pond. 48-year old Parassala native B Ajithkumar's body was found and it was stuck in the lorry cabin. The submerged lorry was lifted by two cranes. The lorry which fell into the pond at 9.15 pm on Friday at Mariapalli Muttam Paramada pond was picked up only at 4 pm on Saturday.

Neighbors were the first to hear the sound of a lorry slipping into a pond in Paramada at night with a loud bang. But they were not sure if the driver was in the lorry. The lorry sank as the Chingavanam police and fire brigade arrived. The lorry was carrying 10 tonnes of urea and was on its way to Chepad in Alappuzha. Agency owner MR Rajendra Kurup said the driver was unwell when he arrived to pick up the load in the evening. After knowing that the depth of the pond was about 60 feet, a bulldozer was brought and widened the road by hitting a nearby wall, then brought two cranes and tried to lift the lorry.

Minister V N Vasavan,Thiruvanjoor Radhakrishnan MLA, Municipal Council Chairperson Bincy Sebastian and District Collector P K Jayasree also rushed to the spot and coordinated the rescue operation. The second crane was brought in after the first crane failed to lift the lorry.