New Year’s Day ended on a tragic note for the capital city after four teenagers drowned in the estuarine waters near Edayar, Panathura, here.
The deceased have been identified as Ibrahim Badusha, 19, Rameez Khan, 17, Navab Khan, and Bismillah Khan.
The coastal police, the Fire and Rescue Services, and the local people carried out the search for the boys.
Nineteen-year-old Ali Mukhtar, who survived the ordeal, is recovering at the Government Medical College Hospital, Thiruvananthapuram, authorities said.
Most of them were students of the Beema Maheen Higher Secondary School, Beemapally.
The Poonthura police believe the incident to have occurred around 5 p.m.
Seven-member group
The five, all reportedly related to each other, were part of a seven-member group that decided to spend the New Year’s Day at the estuary where the Karamana river drains into the sea.
According to the police, the currents were especially strong on Tuesday as the sandbar was breached.
Two among the group had chosen to stay on the quieter side of the river.
The other five had gone bathing in the sea.
The area being remote, there was considerable delay in an alarm being raised. There are no houses nearby, and since it was not a designated tourist beach, no lifeguards were posted nearby.
Local fishermen came to know about the accident only after they found Mukhtar washed up on the sands.
He was immediately rushed to the hospital while a frantic search was launched for the others.
