2 minor girls drown while taking bath in pond

Kendrapara: Two minor girls drowned to death while taking bath in a pond at Gajrajpur village under Rajkanika block of Kendrapara district today.

The deceased have been identified as Lija Rani Mallick (9), daughter of Judhistir Mallick of Gajrajpur village and Ruparani Sethi (11), daughter of Akhay Sethi of Kandiria village. Ruparani was staying at her uncle's house at Gajrajpur, informed sources.

Sources said both the girls had gone to a nearby pond to take bath at around 1.30 PM when the incident took place. After the duo didn't return, the family searched for them and rescued them from the pond.  They were rushed to Rajkanika community health centre (CHC), where doctors at the hospital declared them dead.

It is suspected that while taking bath, one of the girls may have slipped into the water, following which the other girl might have drowned in a bid to save the former.