DHARAPURAM: A man and his niece drowned in the Amaravathi river near Alangiyam after attending a wedding reception on Saturday.

Police said Asan Mohammed (30) of Sultania Street, Dharapuram, who runs a fried bread stall near Mariamman Temple, went to bathe at the Amaravathi river barrage with relatives. According to a Daily Thanthi report, his niece, Ramzan Begum (13), a student of Dharapuram Municipality School, slipped into the river as the water flow was high.

Asan Mohammed jumped in to save her, but both drowned. Fire and Rescue personnel, with local help, retrieved the bodies and sent them to the Dharapuram Government Hospital. The Alangiyam police have registered a case and are conducting an investigation.