Four primary school pupils drowned on Monday on their way to school in central China’s Guangshan county in Henan province, Xinhua news agency reported [1] on Tuesday.

The four were reported missing after their teacher discovered they were absent from class. He then contacted their parents.

A search party was organised to look for the children on Monday afternoon. They found them after spotting a child’s body floating in a creek, about two kilometres from the school.

The teachers called a doctor, but by the time he arrived all four children were dead, Xinhua reported.

Guangshan government officials have set up a special committee to investigate the tragedy. Further details on their deaths are not yet available.

Guangshan is the county where a knife-wielding man injured 22 students and a teacher at a primary school last month.