KAKINADA: Four students who had gone to take a dip in the Gautami-Godavari river in Kakinada district drowned and their bodies were retrieved on Sunday, police said.

Intending to swim, seven students got into the Godavari river at Pillanka village in Tallarevu Mandal around 4:30 p.m. on Saturday. Of them, four drowned and we retrieved their bodies on Sunday morning, a police official told PTI.

The other three were safe, police said. The deceased were pursuing undergraduate courses and were in their early 20s. The students belonging to Tanuku town in the West Godavari district came on a fun trip.

They first went to nearby Yanam and then came to Pillanka.

According to police, the four students were swept away by the strong current while swimming and after several hours their bodies were recovered.

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF), fire, revenue and police departments, and fishermen were involved in the search effort. Police have registered a case under Section 174 of CrPC.