Chennai, June 15 : A 31-year-old man tragically lost his life in the early hours of Sunday when the car he was driving plunged into a canal at Thathampally near the Rajiv Nagar jetty in Kerala's Alappuzha.

The deceased, Bijoy Antony, a resident of Thathampally, was returning home with two friends after a birthday celebration when the accident occurred, on what was reportedly his birthday.

According to local ward member Kochuthresiamma Joseph, the group had been out celebrating Bijoy's birthday and were returning home when the mishap occurred. 'We understand that they were returning from a birthday celebration. It's heartbreaking that such a tragedy unfolded on his special day,' she said.

The Alappuzha Fire and Rescue Station received an emergency call at 1.55 a.m. Officials said the car veered off the road, likely due to poor visibility and slippery conditions caused by heavy rain, and plunged into the canal.

The vehicle was later found around 50 feet from the jetty. Two of Bijoy's friends -- Binoy Thomas from Kuttichira and Jijo Lonan from Kurishinkal, Thathampally -- were also in the car but survived. Both knew how to swim and managed to escape from the submerged vehicle.

'They tried to save Bijoy, but the undercurrent was too strong. He didn't know how to swim and was pulled away by the current,' said Joji N. Joy, Assistant Station Officer, Alappuzha.

Fire and rescue personnel conducted a search operation in the canal and eventually retrieved Bijoy's body.

Despite administering CPR, they were unable to revive him. Officials noted that the recent heavy rains had raised the water level in the canal and significantly strengthened the current, making the situation more dangerous.

The accident is suspected to have been caused by a combination of poor visibility, wet roads, and strong water currents.

Bijoy had recently returned from the UK and was working at a car dealership in Alappuzha. He is survived by his parents, Babychan and Pushpamma, and an elder brother. His body has been kept at the Government Medical College in Vandanam for post-mortem and will be handed over to the family afterwards.

/IANS