A 26-year-old woman working at Technopark drowned in a river during a trip with her friends to Ponmudi in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday.

Anupama, a native of Kamaleswaram in Muttathara, was working at a company in Technopark for the past five years.

The incident occurred around 12.30 pm at Thavakkal in Vithura. Anupama was part of an eight-member group, including her two cousins, who had gone on a trip to Ponmudi.

“On the way to Ponmudi, the group stopped at the Vamanapuram river at Thavakkal to view a waterfall. They climbed onto a rocky area with a slippery surface. While standing there, Anupama attempted to take a picture. Her friend Shruthi was nearby at the time. Anupama suddenly slipped on moss-covered rocks while holding Shruthi’s hand, causing both to fall into the water,” a police officer at the Vithura police station said.

According to police, the group managed to rescue Shruthi immediately, but Anupama drowned in the strong currents. A migrant worker present at the spot later brought her ashore.
She was rushed to the Vithura Government Taluk Hospital in an ambulance but was declared brought dead.

Police said the area had been restricted for visitors, but the group entered the spot nonetheless. “They reached the location on two-wheelers,” the cop added.

The postmortem examination is scheduled to be conducted at the Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram on Friday, after which the body will be handed over to the family.

Anupama is survived by her father Sumedhan, mother Priya, and elder brother Vyshakh, who also works at Technopark.

Kamaleswaram Councillor Giri V said none of the members in the group knew swimming, which worsened the situation. “Two of her cousins were also part of the group. The accident spot is around 35 to 40 km away from her house and is known for the river’s depth and strong currents,” he said.

The Vithura police have registered a case under Section 194 (unnatural death) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).