PHNOM PENH, March 20 (Xinhua) -- Four children, aged between three and four years old, drowned in a pond near their houses in southern Cambodia's Takeo province on Monday, a provincial police chief said.
Ouk Samnang, police chief of Takeo province, said the incident occurred at 3:20 p.m. local time in Angkor Borei district and blamed the tragedy to their parents' carelessness.
"Twin 4-year-old boys and their two neighborsa 4-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girlwere found dead in the pond about 100 meters from their houses," he told Xinhua.
Police concluded that they died of drowning, he said, blaming their parents for leaving them at home alone when they were busy with their farm work.
Drownings happen very often in Cambodia, especially in rural areas.
On Feb. 28, seven young girls, aged between 6 and 13 years old, drowned in southwestern Preah Sihanouk province after their overloaded wooden boat sank in a reservoir where they went to collect water lilies.
