Kollam drowning: Couple had come to start business

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The couple who died along with a woman while taking bath at a pond near Kannanalloor in Kollam on Friday had reached the place a week before to start a business. But fate had something else in store for them as they drowned while trying to save the woman who fell into the water first.

The deceased have been identified as Sajina, 31, wife of Anshad of Alappuzha and the couple Shabeer, 36 and Sumayya, 31, of Pothencode.

Anshad, a Kollam native, who works as a driver at a water plant at Kannanalloor said, "Sajina got acquainted with Shabeer through social media and their friendship grew. She had asked the couple to sell their property at Pothencode and shift to Kannanalloor to start a business. All three rented a house at Muttakkavu and started living there. While taking a bath in the pond, Sajina fell into the water and the duo jumped to save her." Due to the mud in the pond, they sank deeper and could not come out of it, he added.

Hearing their screams, the residents rushed to the spot and alerted the fire force. After rescuing them, the fire force rushed them to the Kottiyam Holy Cross Hospital and later to the district hospital, where they were declared 'brought dead'. Their bodies have been sent to relatives after postmortem and police have registered a case under section 174 of CrPC.