2 drown at Äänekoski, Hankasalmi

Two people were drowned in separate incidents at Äänekoski and Hankasalmi areas in central Finland on Saturday, police said in a press release on Sunday.

One person was drowned in the water at Suolahti area in Äänekoski, a municipality in central Finland on Saturday afternoon.

Responding to an alarm, the rescue service people and police rushed to the spot at about 2:30 p.m. and recovered the body from the water at Suolahti port.

Meanwhile, in another incident, one person was drowned in the water of Armisvesi in Hankasalmi on Saturday afternoon.

Rescue service people rushed to the spot responding to a call at about 4:00 pm and recovered the body from the Armisvesi shore.

The police are investigating into the matters to find out the detail about the incidents.

The incidents of drowning increased significantly in the country during the recent period.

According to the Finnish Swimming Teaching and Lifesaving Federation, 88 people were drowned in the country till early July of this year.

The federation recorded 66 incidents of drowning in Finland in the first six months of 2021, which is 26 more cases than what it was in January-June, 2020.

With about 150 to 170 people drowning every year, the drowning rate in Finland is relatively high when measured in terms of inhabitants.