Two children drown while bathing in Bhagirathi River at Shantipur's steamer ghat

At Steamer Ghat along the Bhagirathi River in Shantipur, Nadia district, on Thursday, two children drowned while bathing. Local police confirmed that the victims, believed to be between 10 and 12 years old, were part of a group of people bathing at the river’s edge. Eyewitnesses reported that the children had been playing in the water for a considerable amount of time, and at one point, they moved away from the shore, where the water was deeper.

While other bathers around them tried to warn the children about the rising danger of swimming farther out, the children continued to play. "They were repeatedly diving into the water and playing near the bank, but then they drifted further out of sight," one witness stated. Shortly after, both children disappeared from view and were assumed to have drowned.

The incident was immediately reported to the Shantipur police, who arrived on the scene and launched a swift search operation. The police mobilized a team of divers to locate and recover the bodies. The search has been complicated by the river’s current and depth, but efforts have not ceased. According to local authorities, "The search operation is ongoing, and we are hopeful of locating the bodies soon." Police have been attempting to identify the children, but no one at the scene could confirm their names or origins. Authorities believe the children might be residents of the Shantipur area, though this has not yet been verified. The police are continuing to investigate and are calling for assistance from the public in identifying the minors.