Bhubaneswar, Apr 4 (IANS): Three students drowned in the Nalia river in Odisha's Bhadrak district on Tuesday, while two others were rescued, police said.

According to locals, the five Class 11 students of Charampa College went to the river for a bath, when the tragic incident occurred.

The local fire service team rushed to the spot and rescued all five students and took them to Bhadrak hospital where the doctors pronounced three dead. Two other students were discharged after first aid.

P.K. Khara, a doctor of the Bhadrak hospital said: "We received three of them dead at the hospital. Their post-mortem examination will be conducted and the exact cause will be ascertained after that."

"A very tragic incident occurred today, in which we lost three of our young children. Assistance from the Red Cross has been provided to the deceased. I will pursue the government for sanctioning an ex-gratia of Rs 4 lakh to each of the deceased's family members," said local MLA Sanjib Kumar Mallick.