Kottayam: The three schoolmates who drowned in Meenachil river near Kottayam town were given a tearful farewell on Saturday.
After autopsy, the bodies of K C Allan, Shibin Jacob and Ashwin K Prasad were kept at the IHRD Higher Secondary School at Puthuppally for public to pay last respects.
All three were plus-two students at the school.
When the bodies reached the school, several of their schoolmates lost control and broke down, including the five students who were along with Allan, Shibin and Ashwin when they went to the river.
A group of plus-two students who had gone on vacation trip from the school on Thursday evening had returned by Friday evening on hearing about the tragedy. They too reached the school on Saturday to have a final glimpse of their friends.
Ashwin's body was found by the rescue personnel near the hanging bridge at Mailapallykadavu at 8.45 am on Saturday, a day after the tragedy. The bodies of the other two students were found on Friday itself.
The bodies were taken back to their respective homes by 1.15pm.
Ashwin's funeral was held at 4 pm at Muttambalam public cemetery on Saturday itself, while that of Allan's was held at Anglican Church cemetery at Paruthumpara 2pm on Sunday.
Shibin's burial at the St Paul's Church cemetery at Meenadam East is scheduled for Sunday afternoon.
Joshy Philip, the president of the District Congress committee, oversaw the arrangements at the school too.
