COTABATO CITY, Philippines — Two siblings drowned while playing in a pond in Lamitan, Basilan on Saturday.
The bodies of Trisha Magno, 9, and her sister Tiffany, 7, were found six hours after they were last seen by relatives and neighbors.
Probers said the girls must have thought that the pond was shallow and safe for them to play in and swim.
The pond, located in Sitio Panansangan, Barangay Ubit, serves as a catch basin during rain.
Probers said the pond must have swelled following a heavy downpour that occurred two days before the girls drowned.
The girls were last seen on Saturday morning and were reportedly heard talking about going to a pond.