The victims came to Ayodhya from Kanpur to visit the Ram temple.

Saryu River In Ayodhya: In a tragic incident reported from the holy city of Ayodhya, three friends, including a minor, from Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh drowned in the Saryu river on Sunday morning while taking a bath before going to pay a visit to the newly constructed Ram temple, said the police.

The deceased have been identified as Ravi Mishra (20), Priyanshu Singh (16), and Harshit Awasthi (18). The victims came to Ayodhya from Kanpur to visit the temple.

Additional Superintendent of Police (City) Madhuvan Kumar Singh said, “They drowned while taking a dip in the river. Local people pulled all three out of the water and took them to a hospital but the doctors declared them dead.”

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath has expressed grief over the incident.

The officer said that instead of going to the normal bathing ghat, the victims went to the river bank next to the cremation ground near Ram Katha Park.

(With PTI inputs)