Kochi: Three including siblings drown after a boat they were riding capsized in the Kochi lake near Thevara on Monday evening.
The deceased have been identified as siblings Ashna, 22, and Adil, 28, children of Nawaz and Shamila of Beena Mansil at Nettoor and Abin Paul, 20, son of Paul and Honey of Manalil, Konthuruthy. Abin's friend Praveen, 23, son of Jude Thadevus swam to safety.
The accident happened as youths were riding on a fibre boat with a birthday cake made by Ashna and Adil from Konthuruthy. The boat capsized as it reached at a spot in the National Waterway 3 where barges bound to the Cochin Economic zone pass through.
Praveen was rescued by Paulose Padannackal, a local. Teams of the of the Panangad Police, scuba diving teams of the Kerala Fire and Rescue stations of Fort Kochi and Gandhi Nagar as well four ambulances of the Maradu Municipality arrived at the spot soon.
The bodies of the other three were found by the scuba diving team one-and-a-half hours later. The bodies have been shifted to the General Hospital, Ernakulam, and will be handed over to relatives after postmortem.
Ashna was a B.Ed student at The National College Panangadu. Adil was a plus two student at the Government Higher Secondary School, Thrippunithura, Abin was a first year graduation student at the St Paul's College, Kalamassery.
