A girl died drowning in the Ganga and another went missing on Sunday while taking bath at Shivnar Ghat at Mokama in Patna.

Police said the two girls, Asha Kumari, 10, and Shalu Kumari, 12, slipped while bathing in the deep end of the river.

Asha’s body could be fished out. Shalu is still missing. Divers have been pressed into service.

Patna rural superintendent of police Manoj Kumar said: “The incident occurred around 8am. Search is on with the help of divers to recover the missing girl.”

Sources said Asha and Shalu lived near the ghat and were daughters of farmers Pappu Kumar and Koshalendra Kumar, respectively.

After the incident, a large number of people gathered at the Shivnar Ghat and blamed the district administration for the incident. They also claimed that divers reached the spot late.

The demonstrators also demanded compensation for the victims’ families.