Srirangapatna: Three persons including an 18-year-old girl were drowned in KRS backwaters near Venugopalaswamy Temple yesterday. The deceased have been identified as Harish (32), staff of Mysuru’s Karunya Trust, Jyothi (18) and Nanjunda (19), inmates of the Trust, which takes care of poor children.

A total of 25 persons from the Trust located at Roopa Nagar near Bogadi in Mysuru had come to Venugopalaswamy Temple in KRS backwaters on an excursion. A few of them ventured into the backwaters to play during which one Divya began to drown which was noticed by Harish and Nanjunda who jumped into the water and rescued her.

But Harish and Nanjunda, who were unable to come to the shore, were drowned. Seeing Harish and Nanjunda struggling to come out of the water, Jyothi jumped into the water to rescue them but was drowned.

KRS Police and Fire & Emergency Services personnel, who arrived at the spot managed to fish out the bodies with the help of expert swimmers and shifted them to MMC&RI mortuary in Mysuru and Divya was provided medications at a local hospital. A case has been registered at  KRS Police Station.