Malda, Oct. 5: The bodies of two minor girls, who drowned in the Kalindi at Tantipara yesterday, were fished out today.

According to residents, Jaba, 9, and Tinki, 6, had gone to take bath in the river with their mothers Pratima Sarkar and Sabita Basak yesterday afternoon.

Former pradhan of Phulberia, Shankar Sarkar, said the girls had drowned while their mothers were busy washing clothes. There was no one around at that time. It was too late by the time the villagers reached the spot. None of the two girls knew swimming.

After the incident, the people of the village, 25km from Malda town, started carrying out searches in the river on their own amid charges that no help was forthcoming from police.

The organisers of the Durga Puja at Tantipara had also engaged in tracing the girls. The incident has marred the festive mood and a pall of gloom has descended in the area.

As there were no divers, local fishermen searched for the bodies with nets.

Sarkar alleged that although Englishbazar police station had been informed about the incident yesterday, nobody from there had reached the village.

“I spoke to the inspector-in-charge over phone this morning. But till 1pm today, no one had turned up from the station,” said Sarkar.

Malda superintendent of police Satyajit Bandopadhyaya said in the evening the the bodies had been fished out around 8pm. “We had sent the inspector in charge of Englishbazar station to the spot.”

The bodies were found by the local people.

Youth goes missing

Ram Basnet, 20, a resident of Chivvo Busty in Kalimpong, went missing in the Teesta near Ravi Jhora, 16km from his house, today. He had gone to the river with seven of his friends.