Eight school children drowned during a failed rescue attempt in a river in southwestern China on Sunday, state media reported. The incident occurred when one of the children fell into the water, and the other seven tried to help, according to the People's Daily.

The elementary school children hailed from Mixin in Sichuan province, near the city of Chongqing. The children were playing near Tongjia dam on the banks of the Fu River.

A search and rescue operation was launched by the local authorities in Tongnan district, which continued through the night.

The bodies of all eight children were retrieved on Monday morning.

According to the World Health Organization, drowning is the leading cause of death for children under 14 years of age in China. The Chinese Health Ministry estimates that around 57,000 people drown each year across the country.

tg/dr (AP, dpa)