Kannur: In a tragic incident, three medical students from Karnataka drowned while bathing in the sea off Payyambalam Beach in Kannur on Sunday afternoon. The deceased have been identified as Afnan, Rahanudeen, and Afraz, all students of a medical college in Bengaluru.
According to officials, the students were part of a group of friends who had come to Kannur for a picnic and were staying at a nearby resort. The tragedy occurred when five of them entered the sea to swim.
Three swept away by strong waves
Former ward member P. V. Jayasooryan said that while five students had gone swimming, three were suddenly caught in powerful waves and pulled into deeper waters. The remaining two managed to swim to safety.
Rescue teams from the Kannur Fire and Rescue Services immediately launched a search operation after being alerted around 12:03 pm. “We found the first two students quickly and rushed them to the hospital, but they were declared brought dead. It took us about 40 minutes to locate the third student,” a rescue official said.
Bodies sent for postmortem
All three bodies have been shifted to the Kannur District Hospital for postmortem examination. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and initiated an inquiry into the incident.
Authorities have once again urged the public, especially tourists, to exercise caution at Payyambalam Beach, which is known for its strong undercurrents and previous drowning incidents.