Three people, including two minors, drowned in separate incidents in Kozhikode on Friday, once again highlighting the risks people face in rivers and other waterbodies in Kerala.

Two of the deaths were reported from the Chovva river at Maniyur near Vadakara. The deceased were identified as Nabeel, 19, and Sinan, 12, both from the Orkkatteri area.

According to police, the two were part of a four-member group that entered the river to learn swimming. All four were caught in the strong current, but two managed to escape.

Locals found Nabeel during a search and rushed him to Vadakara Cooperative Hospital in a critical condition. He later died. Sinan was found around 6pm during a joint search by local residents and Fire and Rescue Service personnel, but could not be saved.

In a separate incident at Manipuram near Koduvally, 15-year-old Muhammad Shahin drowned after getting caught in the current while fishing, according to information available.

Fire and Rescue Service personnel from Mukkam, along with a special scuba-diving team from the Vellimadukunnu station, searched for the boy. He was eventually found and taken to hospital, where he was declared dead.

The three deaths on the same day have again drawn attention to the dangers associated with Kerala's rivers, ponds and other waterbodies, particularly when people enter them without adequate swimming skills or safety measures.

Kerala's continuing drowning toll

The scale of the problem is reflected in official data. According to the State Crime Records Bureau's response to an RTI, drowning claimed 10,451 lives in Kerala between 2016 and 2021. Of these, 8,169 deaths were classified as accidental.

National Crime Records Bureau data show that Kerala recorded 1,385 drowning deaths in 2024, compared with 1,344 in 2023. The 2024 figures covered 1,349 drowning incidents and included 1,160 men and 225 women. Eleven people also suffered serious injuries.

The recurring deaths have raised concerns over gaps in water-safety measures, including the absence of warning signs at dangerous locations, a shortage of trained lifeguards and limited access to proper swimming and water-safety training.

The government is reportedly considering declaring drowning a “State Specific Disaster”. If implemented under the State Disaster Response Fund framework, eligible dependants of drowning victims could receive ₹4 lakh in financial assistance.

The proposed approach would also support preventive measures, including fencing hazardous areas, deploying trained lifeguards and introducing free swimming programmes in schools.