Kushtia: Two minor girls drowned in a beel (water body) at Darpara village in Daulatpur upazila of Kushtia on Monday.

The deceased are Mim, 10, daughter of Sukchand of Darpara village, and her cousin Ritu, 9, daughter of Riazul Haque of the same village. Mim and Ritu were students of class IV and III respectively of a government primary school in the village.

Quoting locals, Daulatpur Police officer-in-charge Aminul Islam said Mim and Ritu drowned while trying to swim with the help of a bottle in Goir beel near their house at about 12:00pm.

Local people rescued the two girls and took them to Daulatpur upazila health complex where doctors declared them dead, the OC added.