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 native of Alphonsa Nagar in Kottayam; Atul Raj, son of Salini P.T. and native of Chamampathal in Kottayam; and Hareesh V.B., son of Vijayakumar K. and native of Pottayil in Thiruvananthapuram.
They were part of a nine-member group that had travelled to the area. The incident occurred in a stretch of the river located downstream of the Idamalayar Dam.
The incident occurred as Biyon reportedly slipped from a sandbar into the deeper part of the river and got caught in strong currents. Athul and Hareesh drowned while trying to save Biyon.
The police have registered a case of unnatural death and initiated an investigation into the incident.
Published – May 10, 2026 11:42 pm IST
