Malappuram: A pall of gloom descended over Vellila village near Mankada on Wednesday as hundreds of mourners gathered in tears to bid farewell to four youths who were killed in a lightning strike at the Kuranganchola viewpoint on Tuesday evening.

The bodies of the close friends, all residents of the same locality, were laid to rest at Rahmania Juma Masjid amid emotional scenes and prayers. The tragedy has left the entire village in deep shock, with grief visible in every corner of the small locality where the youths had grown up together.

The incident occurred around 4 pm when the group was caught in a sudden lightning strike following heavy summer rain at the hilltop tourist spot. Rahees (20), Bahas (18), Siyad (18) and Fahad (22) died on the spot. All four were neighbours and close friends who lived within a one-kilometre radius in Vellila.

Postmortem procedures were completed at Manjeri Government Medical College Hospital around 9.30 am on Wednesday, following which the bodies were brought to an auditorium in Vellila for the public to pay their last respects.

Heart-rending scenes unfolded as relatives, friends, classmates and local residents thronged the venue. Many broke down in tears while offering prayers beside the bodies of the youths whose sudden deaths stunned the village. Shops in parts of the locality remained closed and a sombre silence hung over the area as streams of mourners continued to arrive.

Prominent personalities from various walks of life, including Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) state president Panakkad Sadiqali Shihab Thangal, paid their final respects to the victims, who were students.

Later, around noon, the mortal remains were taken to their respective homes for relatives and neighbours to offer a final farewell before the funeral procession moved to Rahmania Juma Masjid. The four youths were buried at the Rahmania Masjid around 2pm.

Meanwhile, Roshan and Ishath, who sustained injuries in the lightning strike, continue to undergo treatment at a private hospital in Perinthalmanna