Three children, including two brothers, drowned while bathing in the Padma River at Bhaduria Dangi under Chartarapur union in Pabna Sadar upazila on Monday.
The deceased are Chhabbir Hossain, 14, an eighth-grade student of New Bazar High School, his brother Siam Hossain, 10, a third-grade student of Gohail Bari Sarkar primary school, both sons of Alal Prarmani of Gohailbari village, and Noor Hossain, 10, a third-grade student of Kanchipara primary school, son of Islam Sardar of Atghariapara village.
According to local residents, four children went to the river to bathe after hanging the Argentinian flag on a mango tree at about 1:00pm. When they did not return home for a long time, family members and locals went to the river to look for them. They found one child alive and three others unconscious.
Locals explained that the children stood on a pile of sand which collapsed, causing them to quickly sink into the water. Later, they were recovered and taken to Pabna general hospital, where on-duty doctors declared them dead.
Chhabbir died while trying to save the two younger boys, they added.
Meanwhile, the incident has cast a shadow of mourning over the area.
Mostafizur Rahman Babu, member of ward no 6 of Chartarapur Union Parishad, expressed his shock at deaths, stating, 鈥楾he whole village is now mourning. We cannot accept such a death鈥�.
Officer-in-charge of Pabna Sadar police station Roshan Ali confirmed the incident, stating, 鈥榃ith the water level in the river increasing, we advise keeping an eye on children鈥�.
