Sundaragada/ Ganjam:: Six children, including three girls, drowned in three separate incidents in Odisha’s Ganjam and Sundaragada districts Wednesday, police said.
The three girls drowned in Shankh river in Salangabahal village within Raiboga police limits in Sundaragada district while collecting sand for Karma Puja around 9 am.
The deceased have been identified as Geetika Sahu (6), Sibika Sahu (6) and Sruti Sahu (8), all residents of Majhatoli.
Their bodies were sent to a local hospital for post-mortem examination.
In another incident, a class XIII student drowned in a village pond within Digapahandi police station limits in Ganjam district while immersing a Ganesh idol around 10 am.
The boy, identified as Sitanshu Jena, was rushed to Digapahandi hospital, where doctors declared him dead.
In the third incident, two 14-year-old students drowned in Ghodahad river while taking part in the immersion of a Ganesh idol this morning, police said.
The deceased have been identified as Adarsh Sahu and Preetam Sameli, residents of the Hinjilicut municipality area, also in Ganjam district.
Both the boys had gone to the river along with others for the immersion ceremony when they accidentally slipped into deep water and drowned, locals said.
Local people rescued them in a critical condition and took them to a nearby hospital, where doctors declared them dead.
Police have sent the bodies for post-mortem examination.
A case has been registered, and an investigation is underway, police added.
