BUTWAL, May 22: Four minors have drowned in Lumbini Sanskritik Municipality of Rupandehi district on Monday.

Four girls studying in grades 2, 3 and 10 at a local madrasa [Muslim religious school] died after they drowned in a local pond while swimming.  The deceased have been identified as Momina Khatoon, 10; Abida Khatoon, 9; Sahadiya Khatoon, 14; and Sahima Khatoon, 10. 

Altogether five students of the mardarsa had gone for swimming in a nearby Naikhaniya pond to beat the summer heat. The incident came to light after Sakhina Khatoon, who managed to get out of the pond as she knew how to swim, informed the locals about the tragedy, said Chairperson of Ward 11 of the municipality Akaramaddin Khan. “Since the local madarsa has been closed for Ramadan holidays, children had gone for swimming,” he added.

Police said they have learnt that the deceased minors didn’t know how to swim and suspected that all of them might have died while trying to rescue each other. 

 
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