UBON RATCHATHANI — Four pre-schoolers drowned in a creek in Khuang Nai district on Wednesday evening, raising fresh concerns about the safety of community ponds and brooks.
Rescue workers and local residents recovered the bodies of the young boys, aged 3-4 years, from Sompoi creek near Wat Ban Klang Noi in tambon Khor Wang late on Wednesday evening, police said
The boys were identified as Sirawit Pumthong, Atithep Thongkhiew, Itthipol Thongkhiew and Siriwat Suntharachun.
Supon Pumthong, 39, burst into tears upon seeing the body of her son Sirawit, aged 3 years and five months.
She was cooking and young Sirawit was playing with his friends in front of the house, she said. But after she finished preparing the meal she could not see him anywhere.
Ms Supon went looking for her son and a neighbour told her that he and three other young boys went to the local temple. Parents of the other boys were also looking for them, Ms Supon said. Neighbours quickly joined them in the search.
They found the children’s footprints near the temple wall. When they followed the footprints they found children’s sandals floating in the creek, but no sign of the boys. Their bodies were later found and retrieved from the water.
Police said there were no traces of bruising or other injury on the boys’ bodies. They believed they were playing along the creek bank. All fell in for some reason, and they drowned.
The multiple drownings came about three days after another young child drowned in a creek this northeastern province, media reports said.