Hatadihi: Two minor girls met their watery grave while taking bath in a pond at Madhuban village under Soso police limits under this block in Keonjhar district Saturday. Worse, their parents faced with an accident while taking the girls to a nearby hospital.
The deceased were identified as eight-year-old Anita, daughter of Suresh Mahakud and nine-year-old Aneesha, daughter of Abhimanyu Nayak.
According to locals, after returning from school, Anita and Aneesha had gone to the village pond to take bath. It is presumed that they might have slipped into deeper waters while taking bath.
Local people immediately rescued the children and it was when they were being taken to Anandapur sub divisional hospital in an auto, the vehicle met an accident near Purunapani, injuring all five occupants. Anita’s mother padmini and Aneesha’s mother Nandini sustained severe injuries.
On being informed, Fire services personnel from Hatdihi fire station reached the spot and rushed the injured and the girls to the hospital. However, the doctors declared them dead on arrival.
Soso police reached the hospital and recovered the bodies for postmortem.
A pall of gloom descended over the village as the news broke.