Three minors drown in Bhakra canal

ROPAR - Three children were drowned when their scooter skidded and rolled into the Bhakra canal here but their parents survived the tragedy, police said Sunday.

The accident occurred in Ghanauli village Saturday evening. The deceased were Simran, 8, Ruksara, 6, and Mohammad Farooq, 4.

“Mohammad Majid was riding the scooter. His wife and three children were riding pillion. They were going to fetch medicines for Farooq,” police officer Jagannath Kalia told IANS.

As the railway crossing was closed, Majid took an alternate path adjoining the Bhakra canal, Kalia said.

“Majid suddenly lost balance and the scooter slipped and fell into the canal. Majid and his wife were saved by a Sikh man who untied his turban to help them. But the children were carried away by the water.”