Evicted and homeless, Kerala family of four found dead in river

A family of four, including two minor children, was found dead in the Muvattupuzha river in Kerala's Ernakulam district, days after they were evicted from their rented home. The deceased have been identified as Narayanan, 45, a native of Palakkad, his wife Viji, 43, who was visually impaired, and their two children. The family had been living in a rented house near Kothamangalam for the past year.

According to officials, the family went missing on Thursday, and their bodies were recovered from different stretches of the river over the following two days. Preliminary investigations suggest that the family died by suicide, nearly ten days after they were evicted from their rented accommodation under the Kothamangalam police station limits.

Following the eviction, police had been providing the family temporary shelter, food, and other essentials while attempting to arrange permanent housing. Despite these efforts, the family appears to have taken the extreme step, officials said. The exact sequence of events leading to their deaths is under investigation.

The incident has highlighted the challenges faced by vulnerable families in accessing affordable housing and support systems. Authorities have expressed grief over the tragedy and are reviewing measures to prevent such incidents in the future. Counselling services have been offered to the families' relatives and neighbours.

The bodies have been sent for post-mortem examination, and further details are awaited.