2 dead after car sinks 15 feet into river in Kumarakom, car falls into river 2 dead, kottayam, Kumarakom, car accident, google map, Kerala

The incident happened around 20:45. The rescue operation was triggered after the locals heard screams coming from the submerged car. They rushed to the spot, managed to recover the vehicle with the help of fire officials and brought it back to shore before breaking the window to rescue the passengers.

There were reportedly two people in the car, both of whom were rushed to Kottayam Medical College. However, they were pronounced dead at the hospital.

The deceased has been identified as James George (48), a native of Kollam. Meanwhile, the co-passenger has been identified as a 27-year-old woman named Sayali Rajendra Sarje. According to the police, the two had hired the car from an agency in Kochi.

Local reports indicate that the car was traveling from Kottayam when it veered off the service road near the Kaippuzhamuttu bridge, eventually plunging into the stream. The car was discovered covered in mud.

According to the police, George and Sayali Sarje may have visited the area for a boat ride. Officials are currently investigating whether they rented a hotel room because their luggage was found in the car. The driver is suspected to have used Google Maps for navigation. Heavy rain is said to have made the road difficult to see and there were no roadside safety warnings posted.

About 20 fishermen and locals joined the rescue efforts. Initially, the car was difficult to locate due to strong currents and the muddy depth of the water. A fire department dive team took 45 minutes to recover the vehicle, which had fallen 15 feet.

Locals believe that the accident was caused by the lack of traffic lights, reflectors and direction indicators at the Cherthala-Kumarakom road bridge. They argued that the main road and the service road are indistinguishable.