The bodies of four missing children were found in a pit near their residence in Uttar Pradesh's Prayagraj district. The incident took place in Bedouli village, police suspected they might have drowned in a water-filled pit. Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Meja SP Upadhyay said police received information around 7 pm on Tuesday that the four children, aged between three to five years, were missing. "On the evening of July 8, 2025, around 7 PM, Meja police station received information about four tribal children, aged between 3 to 5 years, from Bidholi village who were playing outside their home but did not return," Upadhyay told the news agency IANS.
"Upon receiving the information, I, along with the police force, reached village and conducted a thorough search with the help of local villagers. However, no trace of the children was found that night," the official said.
The children belonged to a tribe, were reported missing. A search operation was launched, but the children could not be located. The search resumed on Wednesday morning, and the bodies of the children were recovered from a water-filled pit in a nearby field where soil had been excavated earlier, Upadhyay said. The deceased have been identified as Vaishnavi (3), Hunar (5), Kanha (5) and Khesari (5).
Prima facie, the cause of death appears to be drowning. Bodies have been sent to SRN Hospital for postmortem, and further legal proceedings will be initiated based on the report, he added.