5 girls drown as boat capsizes in Jamalpur

Five girls including two siblings drowned as a boat capsized in a waterbody in Sarishabari upazila of Jamalpur today.

The deceased are: Subarna Akhter, 17, her younger sister Jhuma Akhter, 9, and their paternal cousin Antara,14, and two other girls Jannat Begum, 10, and Ratshi, 10.

At least 10 children went on a boat ride through Nikhai Beel in Kalikapur village in the upazila this morning, our local correspondent reports quoting Mazedur Rahman, officer-in-charge of Sarishabari Police Station.

At one stage, the boat capsized in the waterbody, the OC said.

Five of the children managed to swim ashore but other five went missing.

Later around 12noon, locals recovered the bodies of the missing girls from the waterbody, the OC said.