Third nursing student who fell into canal dies at Kerala hospital

Kochi: Nursing student Emil Sunil, who was in critical condition after falling into Periyar Valley Canal in Asamannoor near Perumbavoor, died on Wednesday morning. Sunil of Manarcadu in Kottayam was on ventilator support at Mar Baselios Medical Mission Hospital.With his death, the toll has risen to three as two of his companions, Ajmal Habeeb of Malappuram and Ajsal of Kollam, had died on Tuesday.All three victims were students of KMP Nursing Institute. According to reports, the three entered the canal around 11am on Tuesday to cool off from sweltering heat. Within moments, strong flow of water pulled them under, leaving little chance to regain footing. Locals rushed to help and alerted emergency services. Fire and rescue teams from Perumbavoor and Kothamangalam, supported by a scuba unit, launched a search operation.Meanwhile, locals said after being influenced by social media reels, several individuals arrive at the canal for taking bath. They say the canal is 12 feet deep and can be fatal to those who are not experienced swimmers.Bodies of Habeeb and Ajsal were brought to the campus on Wednesday for public viewing. tnn