Bathinda: Two siblings, aged seven and 11, were feared drowned after falling into the Sirhind Branch canal during Ganesh visarjan in Bathinda on Tuesday evening. The girl slipped into the canal while accompanying a group of migrants who had gone to immerse Ganesh idols. Her elder brother jumped in to save her but was also swept away.The incident occurred around 6.10pm near the closed Guru Nanak Dev thermal plant, where a large number of migrants gather for religious ceremonies during Ganesh visarjan and Chhath Puja.After the incident, a large crowd gathered at the canal. Members of NGO Noujawan Welfare Society informed police and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF). An NDRF team reached the spot around 8pm and began rescue operations.There was no trace of the children till the time of filing the report.Noujawan Welfare Society member Sonu Maheshwari said the organisation had demanded fencing along both sides of the canal in populated areas of Bathinda to prevent such incidents.Canal Colony police station SHO Inspector Baljit Singh said, “Two children fell in the canal during immersion of Ganesha idols. The rescue operations are underway and a team of NDRF is also on the job to trace and pull out the children.”
