Bhubaneswar, May 3 -- In a fatal incident, two minor cousin sisters lost their lives after drowning in a pond in Bhuinpada village under Khantapada police limits of Odisha's Balasore district, on Sunday. The incident has cast a pall of gloom over the entire village.

According to local sources, the two minor girls, both aged around 10 years, had gone to the nearby village pond for bathing when the incident occurred. During the process, they accidentally slipped into deep water and drowned before help could reach them.

The deceased have been identified as the daughters of Sanjay Mallick and Sujit Mallick, both residents of the same village. Family members and locals rushed to the spot after learning about the incident and managed to pull ...