July 9: A class five student of Dagana Primary school got washed away by the Darachu river in Dagana on July 6. He had gone for a swim in the river with his elder brother and two friends who were in class nine.

According to eyewitness the victim had slipped from a stone and fallen in the river. The brother and his friends tried to help him but they lost him in the river.

With the temperatures soaring, children often go in groups for a swim in the river to beat the heat. Children along the riverside for a dip are familiar sights at this time of the year.

BBS tried to interview some of them however they refused to talk on camera. They said their parents will scold them if they were seen by the riverside on the television.

A similar case was reported last Sunday where a four-year-old boy was washed away in Chunzom. His body has still not been found.

Sangay Tenzin is an assistant engineer with the flood warning section. He said all the rivers in Bhutan are dangerous for casual dips especially for children. He said July and August are the peak monsoon season with the water level of the Wangchu rising up to 2.5 meters in August last year.

Today, the Begana station recorded a water level of 1.72 meters.

This season, three cases of drowning involving children have been reported to the police so far. Officials are cautioning parents to watch their children and not allow them to go for a swim in the river.