Mandya: Five persons including a 10-year-old girl were drowned while playing in the water at Visvesvaraya Canal in Doddakothagere village in the taluk yesterday afternoon.

The deceased have been identified as Anish Begum (34), her daughters Mehtab (10), Tasmia (23), Atika Begum (22) and son Aswaq Ahmed (28), all residents of Neelasandra in Bengaluru.

On the occasion of Ramzan festival, more than 15 persons of a family from Bengaluru had come to the house of one Ghouse Pasha at Halagere village in the taluk and yesterday at about 2 pm, they left in two cars and came to Visvesvaraya Canal at Doddakothagere village and ventured into the water.

When Mehtab got stuck in the whirlpool, her mother Anish Begum, Tasmia, Atika and Aswaq Ahmed tried to rescue her but got caught in the whirlpool and were drowned.

Fire and Emergency Services personnel, who arrived at the spot, fished out the bodies from the water. Mandya Dy.SP Omprakash, Basaralu Sub-Inspector Sheshadrikumar and Keregodu Sub-Inspector Raghu visited the spot.

A case has been registered at Basaralu Police Station.