Chennai, Sep 9 (IANS): Three college students drowned on Friday after the pick-up van they were travelling in plunged into a 120-feet deep well.

The incident occurred at Thondamathur in Coimbatore district.

Tamil Nadu fire and rescue department and local police are engaged in the process to lift the vehicle from the well-using cranes.

Police said that rash driving could be the reason for the accident.

According to Coimbatore police, M. Roshan of Vadavalli who was driving the vehicle, lost control over the wheels due to over speeding. The pick-up van crashed into the gate of a farmhouse and plunged into a well inside the farm. The well was having a depth of 120 feet but the water level was up to 80 feet.

Roshan, who was at the wheels, managed to come out and fled the scene. His friends were however, trapped in the vehicle and drowned to death.

Roshan(18) and his friends, Ravi (18), V. Adarsh(18), and Nandanan (18) celebrated Onam in a club located on the Coimbatore -Siruvani main road on Thursday and stayed the night there.

The incident took place on Friday morning, when they were returning to Vadavalli, police said.