KOCHI: A holiday trip to Mudakkuzha-Pettamala quarry turned tragic for a four-member gang from Kalamassery on Wednesday after three of them drowned while taking bath in a pond formed in the quarry at Pettamala near Kuruppampady in Perumbavoor.The deceased are Vinayak, 19, of Puthiyeri Veettil, Abhijith, 19, of Mukkelil and Sravan P S, 17, of Puthalathu Madathil Veettil.
All of them hailed from North Kalamassery and were relatives. Sravan was a Plus Two student, while the other two were second-year degree students at Kalamassery.
The police said the accident occurred around 12.30 pm when the gang was taking bath in the pond. When one of them started drowning, the other two tried to rescue him, but couldn’t make it. Only Akshay, the fourth vacationer, managed to escape, the police officers said. Local residents reached the spot after Akshay raised an alarm and launched a search for the trio. After searching for hours, they fished out the bodies of Vinayak and Sravan.
The police and Fire and Rescue Services personnel who reached the spot soon after recovered Abhijith’s body after a joint search.The cops said the four youngsters had planned to visit the quarry after one of them, who had been there last year, told them about the place. The youngsters arrived at the quarry, which has been in disuse for several years, on two motorcycles. The cops said the bodies will be handed over to the relatives after autopsy. The Kodanad police have registered a case.
Residents said there are a few quarry pits which are in disuse in the area. All of the pits are filled with water due to the rain. As the place is known for its scenic beauty, people from nearby places visit it. Those who do not know swimming do not enter the pits as the water is a few ft deep and filled with weeds. The residents said the youngsters did not know swimming well. Earlier, the Kerala State Commission for Protection of Child Rights had instructed the Local Self Government Department to ensure the deserted quarry pits are properly barricaded. The Commission had issued the instruction in the wake of increasing number of incidents in which children drowned in the pits. However, the direction still remains on paper, the residents alleged.