Udhagamandalam (TN):  Three youths from Bengaluru drowned and another had a miraculous escape getting stuck in a bamboo bush when their car fell into a river on a ghat road near this hill resort town today, police said.

The mishap occurred just ahead of a bridge across the river as the car hit the parapet wall and plunged down when the man at the wheels applied sudden brake to avoid hitting a pig at around 1 am near Masanagudi, about 22 kms from here.

The youths were on their way here for a holiday trip when the tragedy stuck them, killing Abhishek, Rohit and Mithun.

Their friend Naresh had a providential escape.

As the car was falling down, Naresh was thrown out and landed in a bamboo bush before locals rescued him, police said.

Naresh suffered minor injuries and was being treated at a government hospital, they said adding the bodies of the three persons were recovered this morning.