Siblings among three children who drown while bathing in Bogura

A local says none of the children knew how to swim

A trip to bathe in the pond in Bogura's Kahaloo Upazila has turned fatal for three children, including two siblings.

The incident took place at a pond in Bhalta Adarsha Gucchagram in the Upazila on Tuesday, according to Kahaloo Police Sub-Inspector Brojen Chandra Mahato.

The dead were Fahim, 8 -- identified with a single name; his sister Suraiya Khatun, 6; and their neighbour Jakirul Islam, 6.

Local resident Hafiz Uddin says the children went to play by a pond in the Gucchogram around noon.

"At one point they went into the pond to bathe and started splashing about in the water. As none of them could swim, all three drowned."

"About an hour later, a man spotted Jakirul's hair floating on the water and raised the alarm. Locals then went into the pond and recovered the bodies of Jakirul and Suraiya. Fire Service members, alerted to the incident, arrived at the scene and recovered Fahim's body."

Local residents say Fahim and Suraiya's parents are away at work for most of the day.

The siblings lived with their grandmother in the Gucchogram.

At the time of the incident, the grandmother was busy cooking, and the children took the opportunity to go to the pond with another child.

SI Brojen says Fire Service and Civil Defence personnel recovered the bodies of the three children. The bodies will be handed over to the families after legal procedures are completed.