Even as Kerala is debating the factors that led to the Thekkady boat tragedy which killed 45 tourists last month, eight higher secondary school students drowned after a ferry capsized in the Chaliyar river in Malappuaram on Wednesday evening. Seven of the victims were boys.

A massive search has been launched in the river after initial reports suggested that two students were still missing. Injured students were admitted to local hospital.

According to the police, students of Sublu Sulam Higher Secondary School at Moorkkanadu were returning to their homes in the nearby Areakode town after class hours when the ferry, reportedly carrying 31 students, capsized.

Locals fished out the bodies, which were later identified. Several students were rescued by the sand mining workers.

Though Moorkanadu is connected with Areakode via road, the students and the locals used to depend upon the ferry service to save time. If Areakode was four km away via road for Moorkandu, the ferry, operated by the local self-governing body, reduced the distance between the two places to barely half-a-km.