Islamabad: At least six children, including two siblings, drowned in ponds while two others were rescued by local people in two separate incidents in Pakistan's Sindh, Pakistan-based Geo News reported.
According to rescue officials, six children were playing near a fish pond when one of the children slipped into the pond in Waris Ujan village near the Tando Masti Khan area of district Khairpur.
All five children then jumped into the water in an attempt to rescue their friend. As a result, three more children, including two sisters, died in the incident while two others were rescued by local people and shifted to a hospital in critical condition, according to Geo News.
The bodies of three children have been retrieved from the pond and a search is underway for the fourth body, as per the police.
In a similar incident in Rani Vero village near Diplo Town of district Tharparkar, two children were playing near a pond when they fell into it and drowned, according to Geo News.
The bodies were later fished out by the rescue official and handed over to their parents.
Data published by humanitarian news portal Just Earth News recently revealed that Pakistan has neglected its children leading to a rise in sexual abuse of children across the country.
The country ranks third in online child abuse. An increase of 33 per cent has been witnessed in rapes and other abuses in 2022.
According to Sahil, an NGO working to prevent sexual violence against children, last year, 4,253 children were subjected to sexual and other violence across Pakistan, almost 12 cases a day, a horrendous figure for any country.
The majority of the children abused were girls. Most vulnerable children fall in the age group of six and 15 years and the majority of them fall victim to relatives or known persons. —ANI