Kottayam (Kerala) | A 33-year-old doctor died after the car he was driving fell into a canal at Vaikom here, police said on Friday.

The deceased has been identified as Dr Amal Suraj, a native of Ottapalam in Palakkad district, who was working at a private hospital in Kottarakkara, Kollam.

Police said the incident came to light in the morning when residents noticed a car floating in the canal near the Thottuvakam bridge and alerted authorities.

Fire and Rescue Service personnel, along with police, retrieved the vehicle and found the doctor dead inside.

Based on the car's registration details, police contacted his family and confirmed his identity.

Preliminary investigation suggests that the car might have fallen into the canal in the early hours of the morning, and the accident went unnoticed at the time.

The body has been shifted to the Government Hospital in Vaikom for post-mortem. Police have launched an investigation into the incident, officials said.