Driver rescued as car falls into Chambakkara canal

KOCHI: A car fell into Chambakkara canal beneath Thykoodam bridge here on Friday noon. The lone passenger in the car was rescued by a passerby before it was submerged. The incident happened at 1.30 pm when Jagadeesh Mandal, a native of Bihar and currently employed at a workshop at Thykoodam, was driving through the narrow service road adjacent to the water body. “The car emerged from the Bund Road and was negotiating the incline of the service road leading to the foot of the bridge when a two-wheeler rider suddenly emerged in front,” said a Fire Force personnel.

“The driver lost control of the car when he tried to prevent a collision and in the process was thrown into the water body as there was no barrier separating the road from the water body.” Since the accident happened near his workshop, a colleague rushed to the spot and dived into the water to rescue him. However, both were eventually rescued by one Antony, an employee of FACT, who happened to pass by the area on a motorcycle. Fire Force personnel from Gandhi Nagar reached the spot and pulled the car ashore using a recovery van and later lifted it off the water using a crane nearly two hours after the incident. A large crowd gathered along the water body and atop the Thykoodam bridge which resulted in slow traffic along the National Highway.