Kasaragod: Three teenage cousins drowned while playing in Erinjipuzha river near Kolathur in Bedadka grama panchayat on Saturday.

The deceased were Yasin (12), son of Ashraf and Shabana, from Erinjipuzha at Kundoochi in Bedadka grama panchayat; Samad (12), son of Majeed and Safeena, residents of Erinjipuzha; and Riyas (17), son of Ramla and Siddique from Manjeshwar.

"Ashraf, Majeed and Ramla are siblings from Erinjipuzha," said Rajani E, Kundoochi panchayat ward member. Samad was studying at his mother Safeena's place in Uppala.

Samad and Riyas came to Kundoochi for holiday, she said. Around 2.15 pm on Saturday, the three boys and their adult relatives went to the river to play, she said, quoting Ashraf. It is suspected that they were carried away by the strong current.

Riyas, a class 12 student, was pulled out of the river alive but died in a hospital at Cherkala. Yasin is a Class 7 student of Government Higher Secondary School at Kanathur.

The search operation was led by Sub-Inspector and ace swimmer Saifudeen M T P, and Fire and Rescue personnel from the Kuttikol fire station, led by station-in-Charge K Ramachandran and firemen Krishnan Raj, K Vijesh, and K Devadathan.

Minister Ramachandran Kadannappalli visited the site of the accident. Udma MLA C H Kunhambu, Karadka Block Panchayat President Sigi Mathew, Bedadka Panchayat President M Dhanya, and Muliyar Panchayat President P V Mini visited the bereaved families and offered their condolences.

Two drown in Kannur
In a separate incident in neighbouring Kannur, two individuals drowned in Charalpuzha, Iritty, police reported. The deceased are Vincent (42) and his neighbour's son Albin (9), both residents of Kotali, officials added. The incident occurred when the boy's family visited Vincent's ailing mother.

Vincent took Albin and his sister's son for sightseeing near the river. Albin reportedly fell into the river first, and Vincent is said to have drowned while trying to save him, police said.

Residents became aware of the tragedy when the other boy raised an alarm, they added. Both Vincent and Albin were later declared dead by doctors at the hospital, police confirmed.