The bodies of two female graduate students from Irikkur SIBGA Arts and Science College were recovered in the Padiyur Poovam river, part of the Pazhassi waterbody, in Kannur in Kerala on July 4.
The deceased are Shaharban, a native of Edayannur, and her classmate Surya, a native of Nalampeedika, Chakkarakal. They were swept away in the strong currents around 4 pm on July 2. The students had reportedly gone to a friend’s house at Poovam before the accident.
The accident occurred when the students had gone to bathe in the river in the Iritty-Poovam area. Local residents, the police, and fire and rescue services teams immediately initiated a search. A 30-member team from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) to arrived at the spot to assist in the search.
Despite efforts by scuba teams from Iritty, Peravoor, Thalassery, Koothuparamba, Kannur, Payyannur, and Mattannur fire rescue stations on July 2 and July 3, the search up to the Pazhassi dam yielded no results until Shaharban’s body was found on July 4.
