Two children drown separately in Gazipur ponds

The victims were Jihad, 6, and Sweety, 14

Two children have drowned to death in two separate locations in Gazipur’s Sreepur Upazila.

The incidents occurred on Friday afternoon in Nagarhowla and Jainabazar, according to Mohammad Nasir Ahmed, chief of Sreepur police.

One of the deceased was identified by a single name as Jihad, 6, a resident of Nagarhowla village. He was a student at Nagarhowla Government Primary School.

The other victim was also identified by a single name as Sweety, 14, who hailed from Mymensingh’s Trishal Upazila. She lived with her parents in Sreepur’s Dakhin Dhanua area.

Local trader Shihab Khan said that Jihad went to play by the pond near his house at noon. His family began to search for him after he had gone missing for some time.

They noticed Jihad’s clothes and shoes by the pond. The water was then searched, he was found, and rushed to a private hospital, where the doctor on duty declared him dead.

Around the same time, Sweety had gone to bathe in a pond with her friends and classmates, said local Shafiqul Islam.

At one point, Sweety attempted to save another child from drowning and went under the water herself. A local farmer eventually recovered Sweety’s body from the pond some time later.

Locals reported both incidents, said police official Nasir.