Baripada: Three minor boys reportedly died of drowning in a canal of Subarnarekha river in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district on Saturday.
According to sources, the three boys in the age group of 12 to 14 years were playing cricket on the banks of Subarnarekha Canal near Saraskana Chhak in Jharapokharia of the district in the evening.
As the cricket ball fell into the canal, one of the boys went to get it back. While searching for the ball, the boy was driven into deep water. He started drowning and shouted for help.
Two of his friends jumped into the canal to rescue him. But they also went to deep water and drowned. On hearing the shouting of the boys, the villagers rushed to the spot.
The villagers brought the three boys in unconscious condition to the land and rushed them to the community health centre (CHC) at Shirsa. But the doctors in the hospital declared them brought dead.
The three deceased boys were identified as Madan Mohan Sahu, Shryanshu Sahu and Saisundar Sahu of Saraskana village.
The police have registered a case of unnatural death and started investigation.