Around 30 students of a local paramedical college had gone to Colonelganj Community Health Centre for training and were taking a stroll at the Saryu ghat when one of them slipped in the river, Colonelganj SDM Harishankar Lal Shukla said.
Two others, including a girl, jumped into the river to save their friend but all of them drowned, he said.
The deceased were identified as Sushma (22), Salman (21) and Arvind (23). Their bodies have been fished out and sent for postmortem, the SDM said.