Nilagiri: Two minor girls, both aged about 12 years old, drowned in a pond at Kahalia village in Nilagiri of Balasore district on Sunday.
The deceased have been identified as Banashree Behera, daughter of Basant Behera of Baligahiri village, and Jyotirekha Moharana, the daughter of one Parameswar Moharana hailing from Kahalia village in the district.
According to sources, three minor girls had gone for tuition classes near Kahalia village. After returning from the tuition, the trio took bath in the water body.
However, all of them slipped and fell into the water one after another.
Noticing this, some locals entered the pond, rescued the victims and took them to a Community Health Centre where the doctors declared Banashree and Jyotirekha dead.
The condition of Ishwari Barik, the daughter of Manoranjan Barik, is stated to be critical. She is undergoing treatment at the hospital.
