Two female students drowned after a boat capsized in the Pagla river in Nabinagar upazila yesterday morning.

At least three others were injured and three remain missing in the incident.

The deceased were identified as Sonia Akter, 14, daughter of Sishu Mia of Gachtola village under Birgaon union in Nabinagar upazila and Nadira Akter, 15, daughter of Syed Hossen of Amtoli village in the upazila.

Aklima Akter, 15, daughter of Abdul Alim of Amtoli village of the upazila, was severely injured in the incident and her condition remains critical.

The girls were all Junior School Certificate (JSC) exam candidates from Birgaon High School & College in the upazila. According to sources, around hundred students boarded a boat from Thanakandi Ghat to cross the river on their way to Krishnanagar Abdul Zabbar High School exam centre.

The boat capsized after hitting a pillar of the Krishnanagar Bridge under construction. Most of the students, except eight, swam ashore. It is suspected that the eight girls did not know how to swim, Deputy Assistant Director Sharful Ahsan Bhuiyan of Brahmanbaria Fire Service said.

Passersby helped recover bodies of two girls and the three others injured. All the rescued girls were rushed to Brahmanbaria Sadar Hospital, where doctors declared two of them dead on arrival.

Nabinagar upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Tanvir Salehin Gazi told The Daily Star that firefighters are continuing their search for the three missing girls.

Meanwhile Comilla Education Board chairman Abdul Khaleque, Brahmanbaria Deputy Commissioner Rezwanur Rahman and officials of various administrative departments visited the spot.

The district administration of Brahmanbaria formed a three-member inquiry committee to probe the incident. The committee is headed by Additional Deputy Magistrate (ADM) Shahedul Islam as head and members are Nabinagar upazila nirbahi officer (UNO) Tanvir Salehin Gazi and District Secondary Education Officer Gautam Chandra Mitra.

Comilla Education Board chairman Abdul Khaleque said this was an unexpected incident. Necessary action will be taken if someone is responsible for it, he added.