Two friends, both aged 19, died by drowning when a country boat in which they were enjoying a ride at a pond in a village of Malda district capsized on Wednesday.

Bystanders rushed to launch a search with boats and fishing nets. Eventually, the bodies of Saliujjaman and Rezwan Sheikh were found from the water body.

Abdul Ahed and Setaur Rehman, two of their other friends, who were also on that boat, managed to swim back to the bank. They have been admitted to the Malda Medical College and Hospital.

Sources said Saliujjaman a paramedical student at RN Tagore Medical College in Calcutta, and Rezwan, who was preparing for his medical entrance in Calcutta, had come home at Moulabipara of Sujapur under Kaliachak police station to celebrate Id.

On Wednesday, the quartet left for Krishnapur-Badalpur, which is under Jadupur-II panchayat of Englishbazar police station, to enjoy a boat ride in a large local pond.

“They had been to the pond owned by a relative of one of the four friends. They took a small country boat out to the pond. The boat suddenly capsized. Two managed to reach the bank but the other two drowned,” said Sharif Sheikh, a resident of Moulabipara.

Englishbazar police went to the spot. “The bodies have been sent for post-mortem. A case has been filed and probe has started,” said a police officer.