KOCHI: A friendly football match after the final-year examinations turned tragic for a group of BCA students as one drowned and another went missing in the Periyar near Kodanadu on Tuesday. The deceased has been identified as Basil Mathew, 21, of Kalapurackal, Kuthukuzhi, Kothamangalam, a student of Mar Elias College, Kottappady.

According to the police, Vysakh, 21, a native of Kodanadu, is still missing, according to the officials. A group of 10 students of Mar Elias College, Kottappady, were playing football on the bank of the river near Alattuchira in Kodanadu on Tuesday when the mishap occurred. 

“When the ball fell into the river, one of the students ventured into the water to take it and two others followed. While one of them somehow managed to reach the shore, the two others, Basil and Vysakh, went missing.

The body of Basil was fished out by divers after a long search. The body was recovered by 7 pm. Due to poor visibility and heavy undercurrent, the search was discontinued and will resume on Wednesday morning,” said Kodanadu police.

The tragedy occurred around 3.30 pm. The scuba diving team of Navy joined the Fire and Rescue Services and Police teams which had been carrying out the search operations soon after the incident. The Kodanadu police have registered a case of unnatural death.