Youth drowns while bathing in river

T'puram: A 34-year-old man drowned while bathing in a river at Ayiranalloor, Kollam, on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased was identified as Rajesh, a native of Agasthyacode in Anchal.According to officials, Rajesh went to the river with a group of friends when the incident occurred around 1pm. While in the water, he reportedly slipped into a deeper section of the river and was swept under, failing to resurface. His friends raised an alarm and immediately alerted the police. A rescue operation was launched soon after, with personnel from police and fire and rescue services unit from Punalur rushing to the spot. After an extensive search that lasted for several hours, the team managed to locate and recover the body. The body was shifted to the mortuary of Punalur taluk hospital. Officials said a postmortem examination will be conducted before the body is handed over to the family. Punalur police registered a case of unnatural death and initiated further proceedings. Preliminary findings suggest accidental drowning, though a detailed inquiry is under way to ascertain the exact circumstances leading to the incident.