BARDIBAS: A boy drowned in a water-filled pit in Pashupatinagar-9 of Mahottari district on Monday.

The deceased has been identified as Lok Bahadur Sushaling aka Sunil (14) of Bijalpura-5 in the district.

Locals found Sushaling floating in the pit water near the dried Ratu River, according to police. Though he was rushed to the Bardibas-based Shubha Swastik Hospital, he was pronounced dead during initial medical examination.

It has been learned that the recent sand mining operation on the river bank using heavy machines has caused big pit there, posing threats to the lives of people.