Kochi | A 19-year-old college student drowned while her younger sister was rescued after they fell into the Periyar River near Perumbavoor on Saturday morning, police said.

The deceased has been identified as Fathima (19), daughter of Shaji, a resident of Mudikkal. Her sister, Farhath (15), was pulled out of the water by local residents and rushed to the hospital.

According to the police, the sisters were walking near the river at Mudikkal. When they climbed onto a rock formation to rest, they lost control and slipped into the river.

A two-hour search operation was launched for Fathima, and her body was later recovered by the Fire and Rescue Service's scuba diving team, police added.

Fathima was a student at Marthoma College, Perumbavoor, while Farhath studies at Mudikkal St Mary's School.

The body is kept at a government hospital for conducting a postmortem.