Three youths, all aged 22 and students of Baselios Dental College, Kothamangalam, drowned in the Palavanpadi river at Vadattupara near Kothamangalam on Sunday (May 10, 2026). The deceased are Biyon Biju, son of Bijumon Sebastian and a native of Alphonsa Nagar, Kottayam; Atul Raj, son of Salini PT and a native of Chamampthal in Kottayam; and Hareesh VB, son of Vijayakumar K. and a native of Pottayil, Thiruvananthapuram.
They were part of a group of nine that traveled to the area. The incident took place in the stretch of the river located downstream of the Idamalayar dam.
The incident occurred when Biyon reportedly slipped off the sandbar into a deeper part of the river and got stuck in the strong currents. Athul and Hareesh drowned while trying to save Biyon.
The police registered a case of unnatural death and started an investigation into the incident.
Published – 10 May 2026 23:42 IST
