Sundaragada: Three minor girls drowned in the Sankh river in Odisha's Sundaragada district on Wednesday while they were bathing with a group of other girls who had gone to collect sand for a puja ceremony.

The incident occurred at Majhatoli in Salangabahal panchayat under Raiboga police limits.

According to information, around 15 minor girls from the village went to the nearby Sankh river to collect sand for the puja. Before collecting the sand, the girls entered the river to bathe. During this time, three of them ventured into deep water and drowned.

The deceased have been identified as Sibika Sahu (6), Gitika Sahu (6), and Shruti Sahu (8). All three were residents of Majhatoli.

The other girls who were accompanying them raised an alarm after the three went missing in the water. Hearing their cries, villagers living near the river rushed to the spot and brought the girls out. They also informed the Raiboga police.

Police reached the spot and shifted the girls to the Salangabahal Primary Health Centre. They were later taken to the Community Health Centre at Birmitrapur, where doctors declared them dead.