Seven girls in the age bracket of eight to 17 years died by drowning at a village pond of Bukru under Sheregarah Panchayat under Balumath police station of Latehar district.

Confirming this, the Circle Officer of Balumath, Aftab Alam said all these girls had gone to the water body for the immersion of the Karma puja twigs, called Karma dali, as a part of a ritual.

Three of the seven drowned girls are siblings, sources said. These three were daughters of one Aklu Ganjhu, said Alam.

Alam said all the seven drowned girls are of the Ganjhu community.

Karma festival is mainly celebrated by the tribal community but here Ganjhus, who are scheduled caste, also celebrate it.

The seven girls have been identified as Rekha, Laxmi, Rina, Meena, Pinki, Sushma and Sunita. Rekha, Laxmi and Rina were sisters and daughters of Aklu Ganjhu, said Alam.

Chief minister Hemant Soren has expressed his deep condolences over this tragedy.

DDC Surendra Kumar Verma rushed to Balumath to know how this tragedy occurred. Verma had reached Balumath and was inquiring into it when this report was filed.

Alam said five died in the water but two had some life left and so these two were rushed to the community health centre at Balumath where the doctors declared them dead.

He said postmortem would be done at the Sadar Hospital in Latehar today itself.

Sources said the girls went to the pond early in the morning. The recent heavy rains had swelled this pond where these girls had no idea of the depth of the water.

DC Latehar Abu Imran has set up a three-member medical board for the postmortem of the seven girls, read a press note.

The board has doctors Akhilesh Prasad, AK Oreya and Hari Om Prasad.