Three students drown after being swept away by current in Kerala river

ON May 10, 2026, three dental college students from Kothamangalam drowned after being swept away by strong currents while bathing in the Palavanpadi River near Vadattupara in Kothamangalam (Ernakulam Dist).

The victims, part of a nine-member group, were identified as Biyon (Thiruvalla), Hareesh (Thiruvananthapuram) and Atul (Kottayam).

The students entered the river around 2 p.m. and were caught in dangerous undercurrents.

Residents and fire and rescue personnel conducted a search operation and recovered the students, but they were declared dead upon arrival at a private hospital in Kothamangalam.

While warning boards were present in the area, they were ignored, local authorities said.

This incident follows another recent drowning nearby where nursing students drowned, highlighting the dangers of the river.