Two sisters from Kottayam, Kerala, who were settled in the US, died by suicide by jumping into the sea in Kanyakumari on April 26. Their bodies washed ashore on Thursday. The deceased were identified as Annie Philip, 35 and Meera Philip, 32, residents of Kidangoor in Kottayam. Philip and Mary are their parents.

Kanyakumari police told Onmanorama that they had checked into a seaside hotel on April 24. "They arrived from Rameswaram. On April 26, they sent two messages to their parents and another sister, Elizabeth. The messages read like their suicide note. We have informed their parents," Kanyakumari DySP Jayachandran said.

Soon after the family received the messages, they panicked and contacted the Tamil Nadu police. A missing complaint was registered, and a probe was initiated. CCTV footage showed two of them walking along the pier at Vavathurai on April 26. They did not return to their room. The police suspect that they jumped into the sea. On Thursday morning, their bodies washed ashore at Vavathurai. Both of them were settled in Austin, Texas.

According to the hotel staff, the women went out on April 26, and when they didn't return, they contacted the numbers they had given at the reception and informed the family.

The bodies have been recovered and sent to Asaripallam Medical College Hospital for post-mortem examination.