CHENNAI: Excursion trips turned nightmare for 40 students of two Andhra colleges as five of them drowned in the sea off Mahabalipuram here on Saturday.
Police said 18 students from SVCR Government Degree College, Chittoor and 22 students, along with four staff, from Penna College of Cement Sciences, Anantapur – both from Andhra Pradesh – had come to Mahabalipuram for an excursion in two separate vans on Saturday.
Police said at around 8.30 am some students were swimming in the sea off the shore temple and some walking on the beach when a giant wave pulled them in.
On hearing the students’ cries, local fishermen jumped into the sea and managed to rescue five of them. However, five students were found to be missing and another search followed during which the body of Vijay (19) from SVCR College was recovered.
Mahabalipuram police later found that Potti Raju and Shesha Reddy from Penna College and Parthi and Monish from SVCR College were missing and carried out further searches.
The police said a warning board was kept at the spot but the students didn’t care about it.