Kanpur: In a tragic incident, two eight-year-old cousins drowned in the Pandu river near Purwa Bhawan village under the Bela police station area in Auraiya on Sunday. The children, identified as Vishnu and Ansh, had accompanied family members to graze goats along the riverbank and entered the river for a bath, leading to the unfortunate event.
Details of the Incident
According to family members, Vishnu was the son of Dhirendra, a resident of Purwa Bhawan village. Ansh was the son of Dhirendra’s sister, Sarita, who resides in Purwa Harju village under the Sahar police station area. Ansh had come to his maternal grandparents’ house for a visit.
On Sunday morning, Dhirendra’s brother Dharmendra left home to graze animals along the riverbank, accompanied by the two boys. While tending to the livestock, he lost sight of the children and initially assumed they had returned home. When he later contacted family members and learned that neither child had reached home, he feared they had fallen into the river.
Search and Rescue Efforts
Dharmendra and other family members immediately began searching and eventually pulled both boys out of the river in an unconscious state. They were rushed to a private hospital and later referred to the medical college at Tirwa in Kannauj due to their critical condition. Doctors there declared both children dead. The deaths triggered scenes of grief in the villages. Vishnu’s body was taken to Purwa Bhawan, while Ansh’s body was taken to his native village, Purwa Harju.
Official Response
Circle officer Puneet Mishra stated that the bodies had been sent for postmortem examination after the bereaved families were consoled. He added that a report had been prepared by the tehsil administration and forwarded to higher authorities for financial assistance to the affected families.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers posed by unsupervised water bodies, especially for children. Local authorities have urged residents to exercise caution and ensure children are monitored near rivers and ponds.
