Three people, including a state rescue department official, were killed in Kerala’s Kollam district during an operation to save a woman who jumped into an open well allegedly after being subjected to domestic violence, police said. The incident was reported in the early hours of Monday at Neduvathoor village. The victims were identified as Archana (33), her partner Shivakrishnan (24), and rescue official Soni S Kumar (36). According to police, Archana, who lived with her three children, had a dispute with Shivakrishnan late on Sunday night after he came home in an inebriated condition. During an altercation with Shivakrishnan, Archana sustained bruises on her face, police said, adding that she also recorded the incident on her phone camera. In the early hours of Monday, she jumped into the well, after which Shivakrishnan alerted the fire and rescue office at Attingal, police said. When the rescue team reached the area, the children were waiting outside the house to guide the officials to the well. Soni, one of the rescuers, climbed down into the well using a safety harness and was on course to bring Archana out alive. However, Shivakrishnan, who was in an inebriated condition, was leaning on to the safety wall of the well, which suddenly collapsed. The rescuer and the woman were buried under the rubble and Shivakrishnan also fell into the well. The others brought the three out from under the rubble, but Shivakrishnan and Archana were already dead, officials said. Soni was rushed to the hospital, but died during treatment.
