Student from Chennai drowns in Nepal

Another student, who was washed away in the Trisuli river, is missing

Tragedy struck a team of college students from Chennai, who were on an educational tour of Nepal, when one of them died while another is missing after the group fell into the Trisuli river when a suspension bridge on which they were posing for photographs gave way on Saturday.

Two locals also died in the accident and a few students and a faculty member were said to be injured, official sources said.

The dead student was identified as Florence Angel (22) of MKN Road in Alandur and the missing student is Amida (21), a native of Nagaland. The group of 43 people, including 18 girls who are 2nd year Masters in Social Work students of Mar Gregorious Arts and Science College, Mogappair, had left for the educational tour to Kathmandu on October 12.

Two faculty members from the college accompanied them. They were set to return to Chennai on October 26. The tour was part of a course carrying two credits in the second year.

The group had met locals and worked with NGOs in Nepal and were heading to the tourist town of Pokhara.

The accident took place around 11.30 a.m. at a place en route to Phisling village in the central Nepal district of Chitwan, 150 km from Kathmandu.

The students had thronged the bridge when iron rods supporting the structure snapped, plunging more than 40 persons into the waters with heavy currents.

Angel drowned while Amida was washed away. Two locals, including a 60-year-old man and a teenager were also feared drowned. Eleven persons, including a faculty member were injured and have been admitted to hospital. The condition of four victims was said to be critical, sources said.

Jayalalithaa condoles

Expressing her condolences to the bereaved family, Chief Minister Jayalalithaa said she had instructed the Commissioner of Tamil Nadu House in New Delhi to coordinate with the Indian Embassy in Nepal and make arrangements to bring back the victim's body.

The official has also been directed to ensure that those injured get quality treatment and efforts to search the missing student are intensified, she said on Saturday.