Four primary school pupils drowned on their way to school in Guangshan county, Henan province, xinhuanet.com reported on Jan 8.

Official county sources said the pupils' teachers at Tiandeng primary school in the county's Nanxiangdian township said several pupils did not arrive at school on Jan 7. Their parents were contacted.

Parents and teachers searched for the children. In mid-afternoon, one of the pupils' parents found a child floating in a river 2 km from the school. Later in the afternoon, four pupils were pulled from the water and confirmed dead.

An investigation is continuing.