Four indigenous children met their tragic death as three of them jumped into a ditch to rescue their playmate who had fallen there while playing in a nearby land at Adivasi Belwa village in Ghoraghat upazila under Dinajpur district yesterday noon.
The victims are Mitu Tudu, 6, daughter of Dilip Tudu, Windisk Kisku, 6, son of Robin Kisku, Shushanta Baskey, 7, son of Dinesh Baskey, and Preesila Hasda, 6, daughter of Bablu Hasda, of Adivasi Belwa village under Ghoraghat upazila of Dinajpur.
A group of children were playing football on a piece of land when the ball fell in a nearby pool, villagers said.
As Shushanta Baskey went near the ditch to take the ball, he slipped and fell into the water. He shouted for help and three other children jumped into the ditch to save him. All the four children drowned.
Others ran to the village to call the seniors but by the time several villagers reached the spot, the muddy water had consumed the four children.
A few people had to search and strive for about two hours to take bodies of the ill-fated children out of the ditch.
As the news spread, a pall of gloom descended the village. Almost the entire village reached the spot and followed the inconsolable parents as they carried the bodies to their houses.
The four children were cremated in the village yesterday afternoon, family sources said.