New Year's Eve shocker! Youths die in accident in Kochi

The duo was en route to Vypeen for a party when their motorcycle collided with an autorickshaw at Goshree Bridge.

Students weep as they reach St.Alberts College, where the bodies were kept for the public to pay homage, on Wednesday. (Photo | A Sanesh, EPS)

KOCHI: A day that should have been welcoming the New Year turned out to be one of mourning for the students and faculty of St Albert’s College, Ernakulam. The first morning of 2025 brought the sad news of the death of two bright students - Aromal S and Narendra Nadh N S, both 22 - in a road accident the previous night.

Aromal was a BVoc Journalism student and Narendra Nadh was a BVoc Fish Post Harvest Management student.

The police said the accident occurred at Goshree Bridge around 11:30 pm on Tuesday, when the motorbike, on which the students were travelling towards Vypeen from Ernakulam, collided with an autorickshaw.

The college auditorium, that had reverberated with their laughter in the company of classmates, was on Wednesday shrouded in anguished cries of disbelief.

Their collegemates rushed to the campus to say final goodbyes as the mortal remains of Aromal, a third-year BVoc Journalism student, and Narendra Nadh, a third-year BVoc Fish Post Harvest Management student, were kept for public homage.

Looking at the body of Aromal, a classmate said, “This is unbelievable! We spoke to him around 10 pm, but now he is not with us anymore. It is really saddening”.

Fellow students said the duo had left their hostel, located outside the campus, to take part in the New Year celebrations at Vypeen.

“We were told that their two-wheeler met with an accident around 11:30 pm on Goshree Bridge. Many versions are pouring in. The media has been speculating as to whose fault it was. However, all that we know is that we have lost our dear friends. We won’t have them with us in the new academic year,” said a classmate of Aromal, breaking down.

While Aromal was from Palakkad, Narendra Nadh belonged to Neyyattinkara.

Meanwhile, Dean of Student Affairs Dr Jincy Joseph K told TNIE, “Aromal was the more active of the two in college activities. He was elected as the Ist DC class representative and was not someone to sit idle. I remember him coming to meet me to talk about various things. It is a loss for the college.”