VELLANAD: Two school children drowned while bathing in the Karamana river in Vellanad's Veliyannoor. The deceased have been identified as Surya (14), son of Nikesh (Girish) and Soumya, of Soumya Bhavan in Changa in Vellanad and Akshay Krishna (14), son Unnikrishnan and Rajani Chandran of Anjana in Veliyannoor. They were eighth-standard students at Vellanad Higher Secondary School.

They reached their friend Ananthu's house near Villipara in Veliannur at 4 pm yesterday and went to bathe in the river with other friends. Akshay Krishna was the first to take a bath. Akshay was taken away by the water current and Surya, who tried to rescue him, was also washed away. Seeing this, Ananthu tried to jump but was caught by another friend. On hearing screams, the locals rushed here and brought the two boys to the shore, but they had lost their lives. The bodies were shifted to the Medical College Hospital mortuary. Akshay Krishna's brother Anjay Krishna.