A college student died after falling into a drain while wading through knee-deep water in Chattogram's Hathazari upazila yesterday morning.

The dead, Nipa Palit, 21, daughter of Uttam Palit, was on her way to college to sit for an exam.

The incident occurred in Nandir Hat Badamtoli area, where she used to reside with her family.

Sohel Rana, sub-inspector of Hathazari Police Station, said Nipa was a second-year BBS student ofHathazari Government College.

"She was on her way to the college to attend an exam around 9:00am. As the roads were waterlogged due to excessive rain, she was walking through knee-deep water. She could not notice the drain on her path and she slipped and fell into it."

Quoting family members, he added she could not save herself as she was a patient of epilepsy.

Some students of Chittagong University living in the area noticed her and rushed to rescue her, but it was too late,the SI said.

"They called 999 and also informed the family. On information, a police team rushed to the spot, but the locals had already taken her to Hathazari Upazila Health Complex, where on-duty doctors declared her dead."

Rana added Nipa's body was sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital for autopsy, and a case was lodged in this regard.

The incident was being investigated.

The issue of falling into open drains and unprotected canals has been prevalent in the port city since at least 2017.

On July 3, 2017, retired government officer Shilbrata Barua fell into an open drain while on his way to attend a wedding in Bakalia.

On June 9, 2018, a child named Al Amin fell into the drain in Amin Jute Mill area.

On June 30, 2021, three people went missing after an auto-rickshaw fell into a canal in Chashma Hill area of Sholashahar. Two bodies were later recovered.

On August 25, 2021, a 50-year-old vegetable trader slipped and drowned in a canal in Muradpur intersection. His body has not yet been found.

A month later, Sheherin Mahmud Sadia, 19, died after falling into a drain in the city's Agrabad intersection.

OnDecember 7that year, a 10-year-old boy's body was recovered three days after he fell in the same canal in Sholashahar Railway Station area.

On April 15 last year, fire service divers rescued a woman from the Osmania canal in Kalurghat area.

On April 9 this year, three-year-old Ojaifa died after falling into an open drain in Sadarghat Nalapara area.