Kochi: A tragic incident gripped Kochi on Saturday afternoon when a middle-aged man died after jumping from a multi-storey building housing a prominent jewellery store on MG Road. While the identity of the deceased remains unknown, preliminary police findings suggest it was a case of suicide.

The incident occurred around 1.30 pm. According to the police, the man, believed to be around 50 years old, accessed the upper levels of the commercial complex using the side staircase. The police suspect he may have initially reached as high as the sixth floor.

"However, since the sixth floor is largely enclosed without open access points, we believe he later came down to the third-floor balcony or landing, from where he jumped," police sources said. The man removed his clothes before the act. No identification documents or mobile phone were found on him, making identification difficult.

His lungi and shirt were later recovered from the third floor. He fell onto the busy street below and died on the spot. The incident briefly caused panic in the high-traffic MG Road area as passersby and shop employees rushed to the scene.

Officers from the Ernakulam Central Police Station reached the spot soon after and secured the area. The body has been shifted to Ernakulam General Hospital for post-mortem examination.

"We are reviewing CCTV footage from the jewellery store and nearby buildings to trace the man's movements prior to the incident. Identifying him is our immediate priority. A case of unnatural death has been registered," police sources said.