Three students drowned, on Monday, in the Valiya Parakutty River at Mankulam in the Idukki district where at least three others died in one year.

The deceased are Joel Joby, Richard Bressy and Arjun Shibu, all 9th-standard students of Jyothis Central School, Mankulam.

They were part of a 30-member tour group. According to reports, the teenagers slipped into a cavity in the water body and drowned.

Valiya Parakutty, which is en route to the popular destination of Munnar, attracts local tourists who are often unaware of its dangers.

Last month, a native of Nettoor in Ernakulam drowned at the same location. A baby elephant also drowned in the river in early February.

According to reports, most of the entry points to the river are shallow. But there are sudden depressions between rocks that turn into death-traps.