Patna, July 14 : In a tragic incident, three children of the same family drowned while bathing in a newly constructed canal in Kazichak village under the Magadh Medical Police Station area on Monday.

The deceased have been identified as Dilshad (15) and Irshad (14), sons of Mohammad Imtiaz, and their cousin Mohammad Fariyaad, all residents of Kazichak village.

According to local villagers, four children had entered the canal to take a bath, but only one managed to return safely.

As soon as information about the incident was received, the city Circle Officer (CO) and SDRF team reached the spot and launched a search operation.

The bodies of Dilshad and Irshad were recovered quickly, while the team had to struggle for hours to locate and retrieve the body of Fariyaad.

The incident has caused an uproar in the family and the village, plunging the community into grief.

The Circle Officer (CO) present at the site assured the families of assistance in securing compensation under disaster management provisions.

As per government norms, the state government provides a compensation of Rs 4 lakh to the family of each deceased in such tragic incidents.

Earlier on June 18, four youths drowned in the Budhi Gandak river near Nurullahpur village under Khodawandpur police station in Begusarai district.

According to an official, the victims were among a group of eight who were bathing in the river when the accident occurred.

Eyewitnesses said that the group, unaware of the depth of the water, got caught in a current while trying to save one another.

As panic spread, eight people began drowning, but local villagers managed to rescue four in time.

A tragic incident occurred in Ratnamala village under Bagaha subdivision in West Champaran district on July 11, where two out of five children who went to bathe in the Gandak river drowned, creating a wave of mourning in the area.

According to eyewitnesses, the five children had entered the Gandak River to escape the heat, but they drifted towards deep water due to the strong current.

While three children managed to save themselves by swimming, two were swept away.

/IANS