Seven drown during ceremony

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 December 1999, 10:50 GMT]
Five students and a villager were drowned in sea at Karatheivu village in Ampara district Thursday morning, residents said. The bodies have not been recovered, they added, sources said.

At the end of Thiruvembavai religious ceremony, water-cutting rites were held in Karativu sea. Hundreds of Hindu devotees attended.

Suddenly onlookers saw several youths were being dragged into the sea due to an undercurrent.

They rushed to save them, but they were able rescue only three youths.

Later they recovered a body of a youth.

Five youths and an elderly person who rushed to rescue the youths in difficulties, were later found to be missing. They are presumed to have drowned.

Among the dead and the missing persons, majority are students studying in schools. One of the missing youths is said to be a university engineering student, residents said.

The entire village is now mourning.