Bengaluru: Four recently graduated engineering students lost their lives and another sustained critical injuries after the car they were travelling in crashed into a roadside tree in Kerala’s Kannur district late on Friday night.

The victims were travelling from Bengaluru to attend a family wedding when the accident occurred near Koodali at around 11:15 pm.

The deceased have been identified as Shaan Siraj (21) from Kannur, Mohammed Rizwan (21) from Kasaragod, Harsh Sathuri (21) from Hyderabad, and Param Chhetri (21) from Uttar Pradesh. Their friend, Aditya Krishnan (21) from Thrissur, sustained serious injuries and is undergoing treatment at a private hospital.

Friends were travelling to a family wedding

According to reports, the five friends had completed their aeronautical engineering studies at the VSM Institute of Aerospace Engineering and Technology in Bengaluru just two months ago.

They had left Bengaluru at around 4 pm on Friday to attend the wedding of Shaan’s cousin in Kannur. After nearly eight hours on the road, the group was reportedly less than 20 kilometres from their destination when tragedy struck.

Police probe cause of accident

Preliminary investigations suggest the car, bearing Uttar Pradesh registration plates, may have been travelling at high speed before the driver lost control and crashed into a roadside tree.

Police are also investigating whether driver fatigue may have contributed to the accident, as the group had been on a long road journey.

Local residents rushed to the scene and helped rescue the occupants before fire and emergency personnel arrived. Rescue teams later used hydraulic equipment to free those trapped inside the mangled vehicle.

Last selfie now a heartbreaking memory

Before beginning their journey, the friends reportedly took a selfie inside the car and shared it with relatives in Kannur, informing them that they had started their trip.

The photograph has since become the final image received by their families before they were informed of the fatal accident.

Police have registered a case and further investigation into the cause of the crash is underway.