Four girls drowned in a water-filled pit dug during expansion of roads at Garuda Municipality-4 in Rautahat district.

Garuda Local Police Inspector Keshav Regmi said the deceased have been identified as Sangita Sah, 12, Sunita, 9, Sunaina Sah, 9, and Sushmita Sah, 9. Sangita and Sunita were daughters of Ram Ekwal while Sunaina and Sushmita were daughters of Ram's brothers Yogendra Sah and Prem Sah.

The girls had gone to collect fodder this morning. Their families began searching for them after they failed to show until late afternoon. Police said their bodies were found in the pit at around 3 this afternoon.

An eight-foot deep pit was dug during the construction of Chandranigahapur-Gaur road section in the municipality. The pit was filled by water during rainfall.