Malappuram boy found dead on Azhikode Beach five days after being swept away in Kadalundi river

Malappuram: The body of a 17-year-old boy from Tanur, who went missing in the Kadalundi River, was recovered from a beach in Thrissur district on Sunday morning, as rescuers entered the fifth day of the search operation. Juraij, the deceased, had gone missing while bathing with friends in a stream of the Kadalundi River near New Kettil at Parappanangadi on the afternoon of July 9.

According to the rescue team, Juraij’s body was found washed ashore on Azhikode beach in Thrissur.

He had reportedly been caught in a strong current and swept away by the waters. A large-scale search operation followed, covering both riverbanks and the water, using all available resources.

Rescue teams continued the search across rivers, estuaries, and the sea, even lowering nearby weirs. On July 13, the fifth day, at around 10 am, the boy’s body was recovered from Azhikode beach.

The clothes found on the body matched those Juraij was wearing at the time he went missing, prompting authorities to temporarily suspend the search. Later, police took his relatives to Kodungallur Taluk Hospital, where they confirmed the body was indeed Juraij’s.

Although Navy personnel from Kochi had joined the search on Sunday morning, they returned after the recovery. As the body was partially decomposed, it was taken to Thrissur Medical College Hospital for a DNA test and post-mortem. Following the autopsy, the boy’s mortal remains were laid to rest around 8 pm at the Marakkar Kappad Juma Masjid graveyard in Tanur.

Juraij is survived by his father Shahjahan, mother Nisami, and four siblings — Niyas, Nijaz, Riyaz, and Fathima Nia.