Two minor girls were found hanging inside a room at the Sports Authority of India (SAI) hostel in Kollam, Kerala, in the early hours of Thursday. The incident came to light after the girls failed to report for their morning training session. Police identified the deceased as Sandra (17) from Kozhikode and Vyshnavi (15) from Thiruvananthapuram. Sandra was an athletics trainee and a Class 12 student and Vyshnavi was a kabaddi player studying in Class 10.
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How the incident was discovered
According to police, both girls were staying in separate rooms at the hostel but had spent Wednesday night together in Sandra’s room. Other hostel inmates saw them early Thursday morning. The matter came to attention around 5:00 AM when the duo did not turn up for training. After repeated knocks on the door went unanswered, hostel authorities broke open the door and found both girls hanging from ceiling fans.
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Police investigation
Kollam East police have registered a case and launched an investigation into the deaths. “The two girls were found dead in a hostel room by their fellow inmates in the early hours of Thursday. They didn’t come for the morning training,” a senior officer of Kollam East police station told HT. Police said no suicide note was recovered from the room, and the reason behind the deaths is yet to be found.
Post-mortem examinations are currently underway. Police will record statements from fellow sportspersons at the hostel, trainers and family members to piece together the sequence of events. The bodies will be handed over to the families after the post-mortem procedures are completed. Authorities said further details will emerge as the investigation progresses.
Student suicides in Kerala
Student suicides in Kerala have risen sharply over the past 10 years, increasing by nearly 50 per cent. This has raised serious concerns about the mental health of schoolchildren. According to data shared in the state assembly, Kerala recorded 39,962 suicides between January 2021 and March 2025.
The number went up each year, from 6,227 cases in 2021 to 10,994 in 2023. These figures include people from all age groups, they point to a wider national problem. Data from the National Crime Records Bureau show that 13,044 students died by suicide across India in 2022, a number similar to the previous year.
Disclaimer: If you or someone you know is in distress or struggling with mental health, please seek help immediately.Government Tele-MANAS Helpline: Call 14416 or 1-800-891-4416 (Toll-free, 24×7, available in 20+ languages).KIRAN (Govt. Helpline): 1800-599-0019 Vandrevala Foundation: +91-9999666555 (WhatsApp/Call)
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