The search is on for the missing auto-rickshaw driver

The search for 68-year-old autorickshaw driver Vidyadharan, who was swept away after his vehicle plunged into a waterlogged canal in Vembayam, continued on Monday.

Fire and Rescue Service personnel from Thiruvananthapuram and Nedumangad along with diving teams and local residents are carrying out a massive search operation.

Vidyadharan and his wife Lathakumari, a former panchayat member, were returning from a wedding reception on Sunday evening when the accident occurred. Heavy rainfall caused the canal to overflow, making it difficult to distinguish the road from the waterway.

While negotiating a turn near the Chirrakkonam canal near Vettinad, the vehicle reportedly went into the canal and the two persons fell into the river.

The locals immediately rushed to their rescue and managed to save Lathakumari. However, Vidyadharan was swept away by a strong current. The autorickshaw also sank into the canal.

Search operations began soon after the accident, with firefighters and local residents conducting searches until around 11:00 p.m. However, the operation was suspended due to darkness and poor visibility. It was restored on Monday around six o’clock in the morning.

Dive teams have been split into two groups and are searching the canal and its adjacent waterways. Although the search operation has expanded several kilometers downstream, it has so far been futile. Fire officials suspect that Vidyadharan might have been swept away by the current towards the Vamanapuram river.

Published – 02 Nov 2026 22:21 IST