Wayanad/Kozhikode (Keralam) | Four people, including two students, lost their lives and several others were injured in two separate accidents reported in Keralam, police said.

Two people were killed when a tourist van carrying students from Mandya University in Karnataka overturned at Sultan Bathery here early on Monday.

According to police, the accident occurred around 1.30 am at the 54th Mile in Sultan Bathery, when the van, carrying 15 people, including students from the university, was returning from a trip to tourist destinations in Keralam.

The deceased were identified as Ranjith and Bharath.

The driver lost control of the vehicle, which overturned.

Residents immediately launched rescue efforts but could not pull out all the passengers as the vehicle was severely damaged.

Fire and Rescue Services personnel later reached the spot, cut open the vehicle and shifted all the passengers to a nearby hospital.

Police said Ranjith was driving the vehicle.

It was yet to be confirmed whether Bharath was a student or an employee of the institution.

Three of the rescued passengers are in critical condition, police said.

An investigation into the incident is under way.

In another tragedy, two school students died after being hit by a train near Chemancheri railway station here on Sunday evening.

The deceased were identified as Avanika (14), a native of Vikas Nagar in Kappad, and Parthiv (17), a resident of Thiruvangoor.

According to police, the incident occurred around 6 pm on Sunday near Chemancheri railway station.

Avanika was a Class 9 student at Thiruvangoor Government School. Parthiv, who completed Class 10 at the same school, was pursuing Plus One at another school in Atholi, police said.

A case of unnatural death was registered and investigation is on to ascertain whether it was a case of suicide.

The two were seen together at Chemancheri railway station on Sunday evening.

They were close friends and had posted several photographs together on their social media accounts, officials said.

The incident occurred at a location with no houses nearby, police said.

Initially, police could not identify the two persons as their bodies were severely mutilated in the accident.

Only on Monday early morning, following a detailed probe, bodies were identified with the help of relatives, officials said.

The police will record statements from both families as part of the investigation.