Madikeri: Three engineering students drowned in Barapole (Konkana Hole) River at Beguru village in Ponnampet taluk of Kodagu district yesterday afternoon.

The deceased students are Rashik Kushalappa (20) of Srimangala Nemmale village, Mangetiera P. Akash Biddappa (20) of Jodubeeti village and Uluvangada Sudesh Aiyappa (20) of Srimangala village. All the deceased were pursuing their second year engineering course at Coorg Institute of Technology (CIT) at Ponnampet.

A total of four students had gone to Barapole River which is 5 kms away from their college yesterday afternoon and three of them ventured into the waters while one of them sat on the banks as he was suffering from leg pain. When the three students entered the river, they were swept away due to strong current and were drowned.

Ponnampet Police, who rushed to the spot, fished out the three bodies with the help of Teetimada Pavi, Kademada Anil Kalappa, Teetimada Sadan and Teetimada Suguna. The Cops conducted mahazar, registered a case and shifted the bodies to Gonikoppa Government Community Health Centre for post-mortem.

Gonikoppa Station House Officer (SHO) B.S. Roopa Devi, Ponnampet SHO Naveen, Srimangala SHO Shivanand and staff visited the spot and conducted an inspection. Ponnampet Police are investigating.