Two minor boys drowned in Gundung river
Source: Chronicle News Service

Kangpokpi, August 26 2021: In yet in another heart-wrenching incident, two minor boys, both aged 7, drowned in Gundung river on Wednesday.

Incessant rainfall in the past few weeks led to sharp rise in the water level of Gundung river but is it yet to crossed the danger mark.

The drowned minors have been identified as Kaimonlal Kipgen son of Paoginlal of T Phainom village and Lungunmang Sitlhou s/o Henkholun Sitlhou of Keithelmanbi Military Colony under Champhai sub-division of Kangpokpi district.

After retrieving the bodies of the boys, some people immediately brought them to District Hospital Kangpokpi where the doctors declared them brought dead.

Both the boys were students of Brighter English School, Keithelmanbi Military Colony.

Paoginlal lost consciousness at the hospital where he was immediately treated by the doctors.

After he regained consciousness, he went home to bid adieu to his son.

Kaimonlal Kipgen was buried the night itself while Lungunmang Sitlhou was laid to rest on Thursday afternoon.

After regaining consciousness but before leaving for his home, Paoginlal told media persons that despite his tender age his son always insisted on accompanying him to his workplace saying that "I will come to help you since you have been toiling very hard to make ends meet" .

"I told him: you are still very young to help me in such odd job, rather you must study very hard to become an officer to help me rest when you grow up", the aggrieved father recounted.

He continued in a feeble tone that it might be his inner desire to help him that he went there to the river with his friend never to come back.

"He was the brightest and most understanding one among four of his children and I will really miss him," the heartbroken father added.

According to Kaimonlal's father, they used to work in quarry and stone crushing at Gundung as it is their only source of livelihood.

However, owing to the lockdown they could not earn any income for many months and face severe financial inconveniences.

They slowly resumed work after many months as some restrictions have been lifted by the government.

He further said that though he could not earn during the lockdown, they lived happily with their children with whatsoever they had as they were eagerly waiting for the restrictions to be lifted.

Meanwhile, Tujang Area Youth Association has condoled the death of the two minor boys and expressed solidarity with the bereaved families.

The association also appealed to the state government and the district administration of Kangpokpi to compensate for the unfortunate loss.

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