TIRUCHY: Three school students drowned while taking bath in River Cauvery here on Monday evening.

Preliminary reports said the students, identified as Zakir Hussain (15), Vigneswaran (16) and Silambarasan (16) alias Simbu, all Class 10 students of RC Higher Secondary School along with their friends went to Ayyalamman bathing ghats near Chathiram bus stand.

While taking bath, the three students reportedly slipped into the deep side of the river and subsequently drowned, while others managed to escape. Based on the complaint, police and Tamil Nadu Fire and Rescue Services personnel rushed to the spot and were searching for the missing students.

The search operation was stopped due to darkness and is expected to resume tomorrow morning, police said.